One Night With the King
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Elphaba Thropp is selected as a candidate for the new Vinkun Queen. But when an ancient feud threatens her family, she may be the only one who can save them. But at what cost? AU, Musicalverse, Fiyeraba. Please read Author's Note!
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked_is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**AN. Hey everyone! I am pleased to announce 2 big things with the commencement of this FF:**

**After four years of uni, endless emotional breakdowns and 14 years of dreaming, I am now an official teacher! I graduate from uni in just over 2 weeks and I already have a job for next year… about 5 hours away from home in a town of 312 people. So _big_changes!**

**This is my 15th _Wicked/_Fiyeraba Fanfiction and 44th overall! Which makes me very happy. Hopefully there's another 15 coming! **

**So, you all know the drill by now! I post, you read, you review, and I post a new chapter every 2nd day or so. This story is different from anything I've written so far, and I'm really excited to see how it goes.**

**It's influenced both by the movie and the book, both by the same name, based off the biblical story of Esther. But I've taken the basic premise of the story and fleshed it out in my own way. **

**Thanks to both Julia and Kelly for reading this story beforehand and giving me your valuable thoughts and opinions on each chapter! **

**The first chapter is a little slow, it's really just to establish background context. **

**One Night With the King**

**By phoenixgirl23**

**Prologue:**

Many years ago, before the land of Oz was the united and peaceful land it is now renowned for, it was a series of provinces that were regularly fighting for control for land and disputing the borders that separated them.

The most bloody and aggressive of these territorial battles was between Munchkinland and Glikkus. Munchkinland was vastly farmland, with rich soil that produced great crops each harvest season. The Glikkus, whilst having its own specific advantages, was mostly mountains and had little farmland.

This was the main cause for the arguments between governing officials of both provinces, the Glikkus demanded they were entitled to a portion of Munchkinland's farmland, which of course, the Munchkins refused. The result was a fierce battle that resulted in the deaths of hundreds, both Munchkins and Glikkuns and hundreds more left homeless and struggling to survive.

One of these was a Glikkun woman named Naia. Her husband, formerly the Glikkus Army General had been killed in the battle and thus left her widowed with a young son, Avaric. She blamed the Munchkins not only for the death of her husband, but for the war itself and as she resettled and raised her son on her own, instilled in him those lessons that the Munchkins were responsible for all their suffering.

As Avaric grew up, he took these lessons as truth and to heart, vowing revenge on those who had killed his father and caused his mother much undue grief and loss. When he was of a certain age, he left the Glikkus and went to Quox, where he was trained by their army and transformed into a fierce warrior.

With him were several other men who, like him, blamed the farming province of Munchkinland for their violent history and that so many of them had grown up without fathers, mothers or other family members. Once they had completed their training, they joined together, bonding over their thirst for revenge. Avaric called their group "Lustitiae", meaning "Justice Seekers" and when they returned to Oz, they began by raiding and terrorising small Munchkin villages on the outskirts of the border; and also some of the wealthier towns and villages in the province of Gilikin.

They soon became renowned for their acts of piracy and terrorism and those all throughout Oz began to live in fear of the Lustitiaens and their symbol, which was two white "S" type shapes, facing opposite one another on a dark purple background, the colour of the justice they sought. This symbol was referred to as the "quaerere", and it was often difficult to tell if the name or the symbol was more infamous through Oz. Although Avaric was more than happy to lead his band of men in these raids and attacks, he had a grand plan to ultimately seek his revenge.

But Avaric also believed that the best plans could not be rushed, and that he should make the most of the life he had been given. So, in between raids and attacks, he married, built a home and raised a family, taking pride and care to ensure his seven sons were raised just as his mother had raised him. His wife, the sister of one of his most trusted men, was proud to be the wife of Oz's most feared man and hoped that her sons would follow in their father's footsteps.

Finally, thirty years after the battle which had killed his father and destroyed his homeland, Avaric led his men in a grand siege upon Munchkin City and all who lived there. He made sure to personally kill those residing in the grand white Governor's household and took immense pride in setting it alight. He didn't stay to watch it burn.

But perhaps he should have. For if he had, he would have seen that not all those within the household were dead. The Governor and his wife had two daughters. The youngest Nessarose, although crippled was tragically beautiful and she was only four years old. Her elder sister, Elphaba, was not seen so much as tragically beautiful, but closer to beautifully tragic. For reasons unknown, she had been born with emerald green skin and hence was shunned by the Munchkins, especially her father, who was shamed to have such a child born to him.

Because of her unique skin tone and the shame and dishonour she had brought on her family simply by existing, Elphaba resided in the attic of the Governor's household, and this was how she escaped death at Avaric's hands at only seven years old. Being awakened from her sleep by distant screams and the sounds of horses being ridden off at great speeds, she scrambled out of bed and looked out the window.

She didn't understand the meaning of what she saw, a large black horse quickly vanishing from view, but she distinctly noticed the flag that it's rider bore, a purple flag with a white quaerere on it. As the horse turned, the rider's profile was caught in the moonlight, and even at a distance Elphaba could see the strong jaw and long nose, and a thin scar running down his cheekbone, an image that would imprint itself on her young mind forever.

It was only when Elphaba left the attic and found the bodies of her parents and sister and then smelled the smoke that the magnitude of what was happening occurred to her. Frightened, confused and still half asleep, she stumbled through the smoke filled house until she reached the outdoors, where she found her cousin, Shell, being able to do nothing but watch the house burn.

Shell was eighteen, and one of the few in Munchkinland who wasn't perturbed by his little cousin's verdigris. He had been out celebrating a friend's birthday amongst the cornfields, and when they'd heard the screams and noises coming from the village, they hadn't known what was going on, only that it was very bad.

Shell, slightly drunk, had eventually stumbled back into the city outskirts as the horsemen rode quickly away, leaving burning buildings, dead, dying and injured people all around them. His first thought had been to go home, and when he'd burst through the front door of his still-standing house, he'd been greeted by the sight of his father's head lying on the floor, a good three feet away from the rest of his body.

That had been more than enough to sober him, and when he'd finished ejecting his stomach of all the alcohol he'd drunk into what had formerly been his mother's prize rose bushes, he'd looked up and seen the Governor's house go up in flames.

Shell had moaned weakly and sunk to his knees is his own vomit, assuming his aunt, uncle and cousins were now lost to him in addition to his own parents. And then for some unknown reason, he had been compelled to stagger to his feet and head over to watch the fire destroy the house.

The last thing he was expecting was for a little, terrified green girl, covered in soot and blood practically fly out the fire-consumed doorway and into the fresh night air.

When he recognised her, running out of the burning house in her nightgown, he fought through a crashing wave of relief and hurried to comfort her.

"Fabala!" he cried out frantically, pulling her into his arms and making sure she wasn't hurt in any way. "Are you alright?"

Elphaba couldn't speak, too traumatised by the events of what had happened, and unable to blink the images of her little sister's body from her mind's eye. She could only sob and cling to Shell's shirt, which smelt like smoke, vomit and alcohol.

"It's going to be okay, Fabala," he assured her in a whisper as Munchkins around them stared silently.

Shell felt himself sober even more as it dawned on him that Elphaba was now the only family he had left, and it was up to him to look after her now. At eighteen, he had suddenly become a father. And then Shell really wanted a drink.

Two hundred and thirty-six Munchkin men, women and children died that night, and a further three hundred and twelve were injured to various degrees of severity. Eight hundred and seventy-three homes were destroyed and all of Munchkinland was plunged into a state of shock at what had happened.

In addition to his family, Shell had lost many friends that night, including his long-term girlfriend. They'd been together for two years, and had been planning a life together. To have his whole future and his family wiped out in only a few moments was almost more than he could bear.

Shell, once he'd gotten his head on straight and realised he couldn't fall apart because he now had Elphaba to look after, had wasted no time before sitting down and thinking of a plan. Elphaba had confessed to him in a whisper what she had seen that night and her story sent chills down Shell's spine.

He knew the reputation of the Lustitiaens and the quaerere, he had grown up listening to his father tell stories of the battle thirty years ago between Munchkinland and the Glikkus, and Shell wasn't stupid. It hadn't escaped his attention that the majority of the attacks conducted by the Lustitiaens were targeted on Munchkins, and he wasn't foolish or naïve enough to suppose that they wouldn't come back one day to finish what they'd started.

Fortunately, the Thropp family was of strong blood and were taller than normal Munchkins. Only the children were native Munchkinlander's by birth, their parents had all been born of Gilikinese descent. Their fathers, brothers Frexspar and Hatim had moved with their parents as small children when their father became Governor of Munchkinland, and both their mothers had been from respectable Gilikinese families who had fallen in love with the Thropp brothers, Shell's mother some six years before Elphaba's.

This blessing meant that, Elphaba's skin colour aside, they would be able to blend into normal society outside of Munchkinland quite easily. Shell had no desire to stay in Munchkinland, forever plagued by the horror of this night and he felt it would be better for Elphaba to do the same. And he wasn't the only one. Plenty of surviving Munchkins were fleeing to Quadling country, or the Vinkus or to lands outside of Oz itself, seeking refuge.

The only decision he had to make, was to which province should they move to? He had to be able to find work, to provide food, clothes and a home for him and Elphaba, and he wanted for Elphaba to be able to get a good education and live as normal a life as possible.

He was seriously considering the Emerald City, when his neighbour, knowing of his intentions, recommended the Vinkus.

"If you really want the best possible life for your cousin, I think the Vinkus is your best bet," he told Shell solemnly.

"They have a good, simple life out there, and they're not as concerned with appearances. Green skin won't scare them off."

"Who rules over the Vinkus?" Shell asked curiously.

"King Ibrahim. He's a good, fair leader. Well respected by his own people and the neighbouring provinces."

"I heard they were having trouble with Ugabu," Shell replied worriedly. The last thing he wanted was to drag Elphaba into a war zone. She was still waking up screaming every night from nightmares about her parents bodies, and particularly little Nessa's.

His neighbour shook his head assuredly. "Rumours, son. There's a few radicals who still claim that Ugabu is independent from Oz, but the government there is loyal to Oz and their King is an old friend of King Ibrahim. Ibrahim's got a son too, young Prince Fiyero. He's about fifteen or so, I think. And I think he's going to be a great king himself when the time comes. And being out in the mountains and the forests…. Elphaba will love it all. Much better than farmland."

"I was thinking the Emerald City," Shell admitted. "Elphaba would love the city… and it's green."

"True," his neighbour smiled. "Maybe when she's older, she'll go there. But right now? A bustling city is not what she needs, son. And you'll find plenty of work in the Vinkus."

So, Shell's decision was made. They would go to the Vinkus and begin a new life.


	2. Chapter 01

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. As stated in the summary, this is an AU. Thanks to everyone who doesn't usually read AU, but is giving this story a chance!**

**Elphaba hasn't changed that much, she's just a bit more open and emotional because of both her childhood trauma and the fact that Shell raised her, and he actually gave her a loving home.**

**Fiyero's changed the most, but he's still the Fiyero we love! (I hope).**

**Finally, my BFF Julia-Caesar, has requested I change my penname to vinkunwildflowerqueen- if you've read my stuff, you know why. Thoughts?**

**Chapter One: Twelve Years Later**

The Vinkus was all buzzing with news. King Fiyero was holding a large, grand dinner that although initially would only be for his court and high dignitaries, would then open to all inhabitants of the Greater Kells, the largest and most heavy populated city in the Vinkus. This was the first time mere citizens would be allowed within the walls of the grand castle Kiamo Ko, and everyone who was planning on attending was dreaming of the incredible food, wine and entertainment that would surely be provided at the banquet.

On the day before the banquet, Dillamond, the king's Chamberlain made his way through the halls of Kiamo Ko towards the king's chambers. As the king's chamberlain, it was his responsibility to plan all court functions, manage the household and if need be, serve as the king's spokesman within parliament and the court.

Dillamond, a gentle and kind old Goat who was known for his passion for history and reading, had been in his position for many years, first for King Ibrahim and now for King Fiyero. Fiyero had taken the throne three years ago, at the age of only twenty-four, after his father had been murdered in his sleep by a group of Ugabian militia.

Fiyero had been devastated, he had been very close to his father and especially since his mother had died when he was only eight years old. And that same night, the militia had staged a coup in Ugabu and taken control of the government, proclaiming Ugabu's independence from Oz.

Dillamond knocked gently on the door to the king's chambers before entering. He found Fiyero alone, standing at the window and staring down at the city.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero turned and smiled at the old Goat, his face tired. "Hello, Dillamond. How are the plans for the banquet coming along?"

Dillamond smiled. "It's all taken care of, Your Majesty."

Fiyero rolled his eyes slightly, although he'd insisted when they were alone Dillamond did not have to address him formally, the Goat still slipped up at times, mostly when business was being discussed. It always made Fiyero feel so strange, being referred to as "Your Majesty", because in his mind, his father was still "Your Majesty" and even after three years as king, Fiyero did not feel like he was capable of filling his father's role.

But he was grateful to have Dillamond by his side to help him rule. Fiyero knew he had been one of his father's most trusted advisors and friends, and Fiyero had known him all his life.

Fiyero nodded now, and turned back to the window, seeing the city square below almost alight with the excitement of its citizens.

"So, has the plan worked?"

"Yes, sir. Preparations for the war with Ugabu are the least thing on anyone's mind at the moment," Dillamond assured him.

Fiyero was reassured by that. He had been planning and strategizing for this war ever since he took the throne, he was adamant to avenge his father's death and restore peace in Ugabu, which had become riot-filled and miserable since the coup.

Many of his court weren't happy about the idea of war, and most of the citizens weren't happy about it, which was one of the reasons Fiyero was planning the banquet and had made it open to the citizens. He doubted they would have much to celebrate in a few months' once the war began and their fathers, sons and brothers began to leave and not return home.

Although war had not yet been declared and they were making no outward movement towards such actions, the people knew it was coming, had known ever since King Ibrahim's death had been discovered. And in the last few months, the whispers had grown louder, and Fiyero had searched for a distraction.

He had no intention of lying to his subjects, but did not want the whispers reaching the ears of the wrong people until he was reading for it to do so. And thus the banquet had been planned.

"And the queen? Will she be attending the banquet too?"

Fiyero hesitated before turning to Dillamond. "No. Samira will be entertaining the parliament official's wives in her own quarters that night."

Dillamond simply nodded. "Very well. I'll leave you be, Your Majesty."

Fiyero supressed a sigh as the door closed behind the Goat. His marriage to Samira, said widely to be the most beautiful woman in all of Oz, had been arranged by his parents when he was seven, but they hadn't been married until he was twenty two.

"Don't look so glum," his father had chided him gently on the morning of the wedding, seeing his son look less than enthusiastic about his impending marriage. "I know the prospect of an arranged marriage sounds horrendible, but it _can_work out. Just look at your mother and me."

Fiyero knew that his parents had loved one another greatly and his mother's death had devastated Ibrahim. And so he had been given hope that his bride might prove to be someone he could share more than his bed with, but his life and his heart.

However, Samira, although beautiful, had no real depth. She was happy to be queen and to have a position of power, but cared little about the responsibilities of being queen and the troubles of the Vinkun people. So Fiyero had been bitterly disappointed.

He took comfort in the company of concubines, they had their own quarters, a small house in the grounds and he could call any of them to his rooms at any time he so desired. He knew they competed amongst themselves for who was the king's preferred 'companion' and he could admit that he encouraged it, even found a not-quite-small pleasure in doing so. But aside from the pleasure that came from being able to brag that he had the most beautiful wife in all of Oz, he was not happy in his marriage.

He could not have a conversation with Samira about anything more significant than the weather, because she didn't care if there was no benefit for her, and despite being the daughter of a high-ranking dignitary, had no knowledge or interest in politics, learning or anything more than socialising and clothes.

And three years ago, that had been enough for Fiyero. He was carefree and enjoyed nothing more than going to all the good parties and enjoying himself with beautiful women. But his father's death had changed all that, forcing Fiyero to grow up.

There came another knock on the bedroom door and Fiyero called out, "Enter!"

He turned and saw a timid-looking eunuch in the doorway. One of the oldest and most forcibly enforced laws in the Vinkus was that no-one was to approach the king without his strict instruction. The penalty to do so, was immediate death.

"Yes, what is it?" he asked.

"You, you have a visitor, Your Majesty. In the throne room," the eunuch replied nervously and Fiyero sighed.

"Thank you. I'll be down in a moment."

Fiyero took a moment to steel himself before leaving to greet his mysterious visitor. He knew he was known both among his court and his subjects for being firm- well, cold and heartless was actually some of the words they used. 'Firm' had been Dillamond's translation, but Fiyero knew better.

And the truth was, yes perhaps Fiyero _had_been a little 'firm', but he was trying hard to establish himself as king; there were many court officials and high-ranking dignitaries who had doubted and still doubted his ability to rule. But wasn't it better to be seen (and slightly feared) as _firm,_as opposed to the care-free, partying prince he had been known as prior to his father's death? It was this reputation that made the higher dignitaries doubt his ability to rule, and Fiyero was trying hard to change their minds.

His determination to go to war was helping in this matter; his idea for a grand banquet was not.

Straightening his back and steeling himself, Fiyero left his bedroom and headed downstairs to the throne room. He came to a stop as he entered the room and saw the man waiting for him.

He was tall, with fair blonde hair that reached past his shoulders and a short, combed beard that covered his chin. When he turned to greet the king, Fiyero could see his eyes were a vivid green, but what stood out most was the thin white scar running down his cheekbone. On his wrist, he wore a thin leather band with an unfamiliar symbol on it, two 'S' type shapes facing one another. As he saw Fiyero in the doorway, he sunk into a low bow.

"Your Majesty. Thank you for seeing me."

Fiyero stared at the man coolly. "And you are?"

"A faithful servant, Your Majesty. My name is Avaric Tenmeadows."

"You're not from the Vinkus, are you?" Fiyero asked.

Avaric shook his head with a small smile. "No, sire. I am… well-travelled, I don't feel able to say that I am _from_a specific place. But my family and I have recently made the decision to settle down and we have long both respected your politics and this has helped us to form our decision to make the Vinkus our permanent home."

Fiyero smiled politely. "I may be biased, but I feel you've made a wise decision."

Avaric chuckled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am here because I wish to offer you my services."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "And what services would those be?"

"I wish to join your army, sire. I would consider it an honour to be able to help protect my new homeland," Avaric said humbly.

The king considered him for a long moment as Avaric waited nervously. There was no hidden agenda in his meeting with the king. He and his wife had indeed made the decision to settle down and give their sons a proper home. Their reason for picking the Vinkus as this new home was not quite as truthful, Avaric had picked it because it was as far away from Munchkinland as it was possible to get whilst remaining in Oz.

And as for joining the army…. Avaric was power-hungry. Leading the band of rogue Glikkuns and raiding Munchkin and Gilikinese towns was no longer enough for him. He wanted to be feared and respected and wealthy, yes, but he wanted power too. More than anything. And with his skills, and even better, by getting in good favour with the king, could only help.

"I think we should talk," Fiyero said finally and Avaric felt relieved.

Fiyero invited him to sit as he called for wine and by the time Avaric left the throne room two hours later, he was a lieutenant in the Vinkun army, and he was reasonably confident that his plan to befriend the king was well on its way to succeeding.

Avaric felt immensely pleased with himself as he left Kiamo Ko and passed through the guards at the main gate. He was filled with rich wine, had secured an invitation to the banquet the following night, and had the good feeling that could only come with knowing that things were going exactly as you planned.

He wouldn't abandon his role as leader of the Lustitiaens, but would keep the raids and attacks more discreet for now. It wouldn't bode well for his plan to lose favour with the king by attacking villages, even those outside the Vinkus.

He nodded civilly to the castle guards standing at the gate as he passed them, and received a brief nod in return from one. The other was distracted as a new guard approached him to take over his post.

"I bet you're glad to see me," Avaric heard the newcomer greet the guard cheerfully but he tuned the man's reply out as he headed home to tell his wife the good news.

So he didn't hear the guard chuckle as he replied, "Am I supposedly glad to see you because you're here to relieve me, or just in general for your presence?"

"Both, Thropp. And I'm going to ignore the fact that you are showing disrespect to a senior officer by not acknowledging my awesomeness."

Shell Thropp rolled his eyes. "I appreciate that, Otho. Did you draw guard duty for the festivating tomorrow night?"

His friend sighed. "Unfortunately. Crowd control… going to be a nightmare. You?"

Shell shook his head. "No, I'm off. I don't think I'm going to the banquet though."

"Why not? You're going to miss all the fun!" Otho exclaimed in mock horror.

Shell grinned. "Maybe I'm missing it so you don't feel as bad," he teased.

Otho scoffed. "No. If you _really_ felt bad, you'd come and stand here with us all night and deal with the hundreds of people stuffing their faces and steadily killing their livers with wine."

"No thanks. Have a good night, man."

"You too, Shell."

Shell waved as he stood down from his post and headed into the city streets, headed for home, knowing Elphaba was waiting for him before she ate.


	3. Chapter 02

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked_is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. If this sounds confusing and familiar to anyone, it's because I messed up and initially uploaded chapters 1 and 2 in the same document (oops). When I posted it, I realised my mistake and went back and separated them. Sorry!**

**Can you believe 44 stories and this is the 1st time I've done that?**

**And yes, due to popular demand, I caved in and changed my penname to vinkunwildflowerqueen. The reason I was hesitant was because I didn't want to confuse anyone, but I kinda like it!**

**Because of my mistake, I'm posting 2 chapters today. So enjoy!**

**Chapter Two**

Elphaba Thropp was so completely engrossed in her book she didn't even hear Shell come in.

"Fabala?"

She jumped as a light flicked on next to her chair and she flinched against the light, before recognising Shell standing there.

"Shell! You're home!"

Her cousin smiled in amusement. "Yes, I'm home. And you're reading in the dark again."

Elphaba looked out the window, seeming surprised to see the sun setting. "I didn't realise it was so late. I can see fine," she defended herself.

Shell rolled her eyes. "You won't be saying that in ten years when you've gone stone blind from straining your eyes," he scolded.

It was Elphaba's turn to roll her eyes, this was an old discussion.

"And then _where_ will I be when I can't read my books and entertain myself?" she continued in a mock indignant voice.

And then the light-hearted teasing faded from her tone and she scowled. "I'd die of boredom if that was to happen. Because Oz forbid I should actually leave the house."

Shell sighed. "Fabala-"

"Don't '_Fabala__'_ me, Shell," Elphaba snapped. "I'm not a child anymore."

Shell couldn't deny that. Elphaba was nineteen now, and had grown into a beautiful young woman. Shell's neighbour back in Munchkinland had been right about the Vinkun people- they reacted to Elphaba's emerald green skin with curiosity, but not fear. And although no-one would have typically described her as beautiful, she was, though not in the conventional terms.

Her large brown eyes drew people in immediately once they saw past her skin tone. She had long black hair that hung in naturally soft curls down to her waist that was thin and felt like silk. She had inherited her mother's high cheekbones and naturally slim figure and she was tall. She was dressed in the typical Vinkun style, long and flowing dresses cotton dresses that hugged her slim figure with flowing sleeves. Shell often thought if they were still in Munchkinland, she would tower over all Munchkins her own age.

"Elphaba," Shell began again, trying to placate her, but Elphaba closed her book and unfolded herself from the chair.

"I'm hungry. Let's have dinner," she cut him off and walked out of the room to the kitchen without another word.

Shell sighed again. It was fair to say that he had taken his responsibility for Elphaba very seriously. Once they'd arrived in the Vinkus, he'd found a small house on the outskirts of the city and set up a home for them. He'd found his job as a guard at the castle, which although not terribly skilled or interesting work, gave him regular hours and enough money to provide all necessities and a few small comforts for him and Elphaba.

He found Nanny, an old woman who had also fled to the Vinkus from Munchkinland with her grandson Boq, who was a year older than Elphaba; and had arranged for her to care for Elphaba whilst he was at work. Boq had known Elphaba, or "artichoke girl" from play dates when they were small, but had no interest in spending time with Elphaba, whether because she was green or a girl, Shell didn't know. It had taken a long time for their friendship to form.

Nanny, before her retirement, had been a teacher, and had taken the education of Boq and Elphaba upon herself. Elphaba soon proved herself to be a serious student and although Shell knew his uncle had never inherited for Elphaba to inherit the role of Governor, he often reflected that Elphaba would have been a good successor to her father, for she had a natural mind for politics.

Although they were living on the other side of Oz, Shell was still worried for Elphaba's safety and he quickly fell into the role of "over-protective father." Even now, twelve years later, Elphaba rarely left the house, except for her weekly market day, and even then, Shell made her wrap herself up in a brown cloak to hide her skin as much as possible.

Shell knew their enemies were still out there, and even if the Vinkuns didn't openly stare the green-skinned girl, she still drew attention. Elphaba suffered with her imprisonment (her words, Shell much preferred the word "seclusion") with varying degrees of difficulty throughout the years, but now, at nineteen, she was well and truly tired of being confined to the house constantly.

Since she was fifteen, Elphaba had begun to run the household, and when Shell entered the kitchen, she was serving up the dinner she had made earlier whilst waiting for him.

"Elphaba, you make it sound as though you've never been outside these walls," he chided her gently.

She stared at him for a moment before her eyes flickered away. "I hardly think the market once a week can count as a healthy social life. Shell, you cannot protect me from all of Oz forever. Is this to be my life? Cooking and cleaning this house and reading my books until the day you die? And then what happens after that? Because the odds are I _will_ outlive you, unless I take my own life, driven to suicide by these same walls and routines."

Shell stepped forward, gripping her upper arms tightly. "Don't you _ever_speak like that again, do you hear me Elphaba?" he said furiously, his heart in his throat.

"I never want to hear of you even entertaining the thought of taking your own life again, understood? I do what I have to do to protect you. You are my only family, and in the past twelve years I have treated you and loved you like you were my own daughter, not merely my cousin. And I will do all in my power to keep you safe."

Elphaba was both alarmed and touched by his tone and her defiant stare softened as she hugged her cousin tightly.

"I know that, Shell," she assured him softly. "I promise you, I won't say that again."

Shell sighed in relief and forced a reassuring smile as he pulled away. "Good. Now let's eat."

Elphaba carried their plates to the table and sat down in her usual seat opposite him at their small table.

"You know," she began, smiling slyly. "I don't have to be your only family. Despite how you act, thirty is hardly old age. You still have plenty of time to marry and have your own daughters that you can keep under permanent house arrest."

Shell narrowed his eyes at her. "Have you been talking to Nanny again?"

Nanny was constantly moaning about Shell's self-imposed bachelorhood for pretty much the past twelve years, always trying to set him up with suitable young women she knew. But Shell refused all offers. He always gave the excuse of being happy on his own and wanting to give all his attention to Elphaba, but the truth was, he was still grieving the loss of the Munchkin girl he had been dating, loved and lost that fateful night.

"So, what gossip comes from the castle walls?" Elphaba changed the subject and avoided the question.

Shell laughed. "None for your ears," he replied and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Shell, _please!_You think because I spent all my time inside that I never hear any language or scandalacious gossip? I do read _and_I know Boq. If Nanny knew half of what he said when she wasn't around, she'd cut out his tongue!"

Shell raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you read, do you? Just what books am I bringing you that contain such apparently unsuitable language for a young lady?"

Elphaba sighed exasperatedly. "Will I _always_ be a child to you? I'm nineteen! Several girls my age and younger in town are already married with children. Next thing you know, you'll be trying to convince me that the stork delivers babies to doorsteps in the dead of the night."

"Well, he'd better not be making any deliveries to _this_ doorstep," Shell said warningly and Elphaba rolled her eyes again.

"I have no objections to spending my life as an old spinster, but I wish you'd give me a little credit on the subject," she complained. "Don't you trust me?"

Shell sighed admittedly. Elphaba was proving herself to be as much a self-declared nun as Shell, which gave him mixed feelings. On one hand, he didn't like the thought of Elphaba being old enough to marry and have children of her own and it did reassure him that she apparently had no interest in those matters.

But on the other hand (and maybe this was Nanny's lectures getting to him), he didn't want Elphaba to miss out on any vital life experiences. Although he wasn't a particularly religious man (and Elphaba certainly wasn't) he felt there must be a reason why Elphaba had not been found and killed along with her parents and sister.

"Of course I trust you, Fabala," he assured her and she didn't protest the renewed use of her childhood nickname.

She was silent for a moment, playing with her sleeve, and then spoke up slowly. "Shell… about tomorrow night-"

"No," Shell interrupted firmly, knowing immediately what she was about to ask. "Absolutely not. Not for all the corn in Munchkinland, young lady."

"Young lady?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow, her tone displaying her displeasure. "Shell, _everyone_is going!"

"I'm not," he reminded her pointedly.

"That's because you're a hermit," she grumbled disgruntledly.

"And you're just as bad, for all your complaining about being kept at home," he said gently. "Besides, I didn't think you'd want to go."

Elphaba huffed and rolled her eyes and then conceded. "Well, I will admit I see no appeal to some silly cultish gathering just because some silly rich boy is attempting to distract the masses from the rumours of war," she admitted and Shell raised an admonishing eyebrow.

"That 'silly rich boy' being our king?" he reprimanded her sternly, although his mouth twitched in his efforts to supress his laughter. "He's hardly a _boy,_Elphaba. He's twenty-seven."

"He might as well be _seven_, trying to think that enough food and wine and dancing will convince everyone that war is not imminent," Elphaba argued and Shell groaned, not wanting to engage in political discussions tonight. He was tired… and he always lost.

"What's your point, Elphaba?"

"Even _Boq_ is going," Elphaba stressed and Shell sighed.

"It's different with Boq-"

"Because he's a man?" Elphaba interrupted, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Exactly," Shell said sharply. "I'm surprised Nanny is letting Boq go, but the events and activities that will be happening tomorrow night are no place for a young woman. My answer is no Elphaba, and I won't change my mind, no matter how well-rounded your arguments are."

Elphaba heaved a sigh, knowing Shell was as stubborn as she was. "Fine," she said dejectedly.

The silence filled the kitchen thickly, and then Shell grinned.

"And yes, you will most likely always be a child to me."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Great. That's just _great_," she muttered and got up from the table, heading into the living room to continue reading.

"Would you like to know the specifics?" Shell called after her teasingly. "Remember when you were five and-"

"Shell, shut up and clean the kitchen!" she called back and he laughed to himself as he stood up to do so.


	4. Chapter 03

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Three**

The following night, dozens of gleeful Vinkuns made their way to Kiamo Ko for the grand feast. The castle was lit up and it was a dazzling sight that left all the citizens in awe. Kiamo Ko, or the Greater Kells for that matter, was no Emerald City; but it was beautiful and dazzling in its own way and was the oldest city in all of Oz.

When the citizens were shown into the Great Hall, they saw five long tables filled with food and wine before them and eunuchs standing by to attend them if needed. And seated at a table facing the five long tables, sat King Fiyero and the Vinkus' most high officials.

Of course, all the women in attendance couldn't help but stare at the king as they took their seats. King Fiyero was known for his good looks, and Queen Samira was envied throughout the land by many, not just for her own beauty, but that of her husband's. Fiyero had dark brown hair and startlingly blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He was quite the athlete and many girl's had been known to swoon and openly admired his toned and muscled physique.

And Fiyero's reputation wasn't only for his good looks. Many women in attendance were past dalliances of the king's, before his marriage to Samira of course. Fiyero wasn't fool enough to have extra-marital affairs, and for whatever reasons, no one ever counted the concubines as such. It was expected that he have them, whether or not he chose to call them to his bed was Fiyero's own business.

When all the guests had been seated, Fiyero rose from his chair to address them.

"Welcome," he cried. "Tonight is a chance for all of the Vinkus to come together and share good food, good wine and good company. As your King, I hope to bring all my subjects together in camaraderie and to stand united against whatever threats may oppose our peace and way of life. So, please, enjoy this night!"

The crowd applauded and Fiyero resumed his seat as the party really began.

There was no better food or wine served that night, and most of it was far better than any of the citizens had seen in their lifetime. There was music playing and some were dancing, others were singing along.

As each course was brought out and more and more wine was served, particularly among the men, the noise grew louder and the guests grew drunker. Fiyero was having a great time, he hadn't had many opportunities to enjoy himself since taking the throne; and the last time he could remember drinking this much was his bachelor party before his wedding.

It was safe to say that whilst the king wasn't quite drunk, he was certainly on his way there. It was almost midnight when Fiyero became aware of a chant making itself heard above the general din. By this time, many people had left- mainly women, going home to check on their children; and what was left was a large crowd of mostly drunk men.

"Bring out the Queen! We want the Queen!"

Fiyero laughed, turning to Dillamond, who was sitting beside him. "What in Oz's name do they want with Samira?"

Dillamond smiled. "It's a rare thing to see the Queen, sire. I daresay they enjoy the thought of seeing a woman of such beauty."

"I would too, if I was married to some of their wives," laughed the Minister for Defence.

Fiyero chuckled, and then rose from his seat. "Would you like to see the most beautiful woman in all of Oz?" he called out and a loud roar met him in return.

"Dillamond, you heard the people," he laughed to his advisor. "Send for the Queen!"

Dillamond smiled. "At once, Your Majesty."

He motioned to an eunuch standing nearby, who bowed and left for the Queen's private quarters immediately.

When he knocked on the door, one of the queen's maids opened the door.

"Yes?"

The eunuch bowed his head politely. "The King requests Her Majesty's presence in the Great Hall."

The maid was surprised by the request, but nodded her head in return. "Very well, then."

She returned to the queen, who was eating dinner with some of the wives of court officials and members of parliament.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty. The King requests your presence in the Great Hall."

Queen Samira raised an eyebrow at her maid. She knew exactly why her husband had called for her, and although vain and well- aware of her own beauty, she had no desire or intention to demean herself by leaving her guests to entertain a large group of drunk men.

"Please give my apologies to the King. I am unable to leave my guests at the present moment," she replied coolly and the maid curtseyed in acknowledgment.

The eunuch stammered when the message was relayed. "I'm afraid the King insists."

The maid reluctantly returned to Samira, who called the eunuch to her.

"You may tell the King," she said quietly and coldly. "That I am Queen, not a plaything. And I will not lower my dignity or that of the crown to give mere peasants a chance to gawk at my beauty."

The eunuch winced, wondering if the King was the type to kill the messenger.

When the message was dutifully returned to the king, Fiyero glowered at the unfortunate messenger. Samira had refused his command to greet his guests and give her subjects a glimpse of their queen?

The court officials within earshot of Fiyero were horrified. The Queen had refused a direct order from her husband? As Fiyero continued to glare at the messenger, his Vizier Memucan, leaned over to talk softly to the king.

"Sire, if I may advise on the best course of action in this situation?"

Fiyero looked to him and nodded.

"The Queen's response is of course, undesirable," Memucan began smoothly. "And although I understand her reasons for not wanting to leave her guests, surely the orders of you, her king and husband precede anything else? I know you too, understand her reasons; but to do nothing and to accept her refusal would not be a wise move, my Lord."

Fiyero mulled these words over thoughtfully for a moment. Memucan was right, Samira _did_have a valid reason for refusing to leave her guests; but he was also right in that his will, not only as her husband but as king, were not to be disobeyed.

"What kind of problems do you see arising from her refusal, Memucan?" Fiyero asked his Vizier.

"If the people should make it known that the queen does not obey her husband and lord, they may fear she does not respect you and hence they will lose respect for you. Or worse, other women may begin to disobey the will of their husbands. Do you wish it to be known throughout the Vinkus that you, the King, called your wife to you and she did not come?"

Fiyero's answer was simple. No, he did not.

"What should I do?" he asked.

Memucan cleared his throat. "Make an official ruling that Samira will come before you no longer. She should be removed as Queen and the marriage dissolved. Exile her from the Vinkus. Make it clearly known this is being done so because of her disobedience. This will reinforce to all the people, men and women, that it is the man who is the ruler of the household and his will should be obeyed."

Fiyero was silent for a moment. "This is your official advice?"

Memucan bowed slightly. "It is, sire."

Dillamond tried to interject. "Your Majesty, may I suggest-"

Memucan cut the chamberlain off. "It is not your place to offer advice to the King on this matter, Goat. Sire?"

Fiyero nodded resolutely. "Do it. Make the proclamation immediately. Send word to Samira she must leave with her handmaidens within the hour."

Memucan stared pointedly at the eunuch who was still waiting for a response to deliver back to the queen, and he nodded hastily. But Dillamond stopped him before he could leave.

"I will deliver the news to the Queen- to Samira myself," he said and Fiyero nodded dismissively.

"Fine, fine. As you wish Dillamond."

As Dillamond got up, the crowd was still chanting for the queen. The cries rang in the Goat's ears as he headed for the corridor, and he'd almost reached the doorway when Memucan's voice bellowed out over the crowd.

"The Vinkus has a queen no longer!"

The crowd fell silent almost immediately, stunned and confused by the proclamation, and the silence was more deafening than the shouts as Dillamond left with a heavy heart to deliver the news to the now former Queen.


	5. Chapter 04

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Four**

Admittedly, Fiyero had been a little inebriated throughout the banquet, which may have aided his willingness to agree to Memucan's proposal of removing Samira as Queen. But when he awoke the next morning, had sobered up and recalled the events of the night before, it was fair to say he wasn't as thrilled with his behaviour as he had been at the time.

Yes, the marriage hadn't exactly been happy, and yes, he had been angry and upset by Samira's refusal to greet the citizens (again, slightly aided by the mass amounts of wine drunk at the banquet). But to remove her as queen and exile her from the Vinkus?

In the daylight, it seemed a little rash, but it was by then too late to do anything. Samira, her belongings and her handmaidens were long gone, personally escorted by members of the army to the Vinkus borders in the dead of the night.

And now here was Fiyero, King of the Vinkus: hung-over, single and slightly guilt-stricken. Perhaps Dillamond knew this, because he kept his mouth shut on the subject when he found Fiyero by the lake on the castle grounds.

"Memucan says the Vinkus needs a queen," Fiyero said finally, and Dillamond nodded.

"He's right."

Fiyero groaned. "I can't handle another arranged marriage, Dillamond. I agreed to marry Samira for my father and I know I had to settle down, but…"

He didn't have to finish. Dillamond alone knew the marriage between Fiyero and Samira hadn't been a happy one.

"I don't think an arranged marriage is the best idea," he said gently. "As a matter of fact, I think you should pick your own wife. Ideally, one who can be a real partner in all aspects of your life and not simply produce an heir."

An heir…. Fiyero had forgotten all about the fact the throne did need an heir. At least he and Samira had had no children, in light of the night before, there was _that_to be thankful for.

"Are you suggesting I date, Dillamond?" Fiyero asked, not thrillified with that idea.

Dillamond chuckled, sensing Fiyero's lack of enthusiasm at that idea.

"No. Not exactly. What if we selected several candidates for you, brought them to the castle and you can choose your bride from among them?"

The idea was intriguing.

"Go on," Fiyero said curiously.

"We'll pick some young, suitable women from throughout the Vinkus, bring them to the castle and allow you to spend time with them and prepare them for life as royalty. And you can choose one as the new queen."

"A commoner?" Fiyero raised an eyebrow.

Dillamond wasn't perturbed by his tone. "I think if you were to marry a civilian, it would certainly help your relationship with the people. And as seen by Samira, there's no guarantee if you were to marry someone with status that it would make you happy," he added gently and Fiyero considered that for a long moment.

"How would you choose these girls?" he asked.

Dillamond shrugged lightly. "I have my connections in different towns, as you know. If you were to provide me with certain criteria, I could ask around for suggestions of suitable women."

The more Fiyero thought about the idea, the more he liked it.

"Alright, Dillamond," he agreed. "Let's do it."

They secluded themselves away for a whole two days, discussing exactly what Fiyero was looking for and wanting in his ideal wife. And of course, there were other factors and qualities that were deemed vital in the Queen of the Vinkus.

But finally, Dillamond sent out discreet inquiries to people he knew in different cities and towns throughout the Vinkus, enquiring about young women who fit all the appropriate criteria.

It took a few weeks before replies with suggestions of names began trickling back into Kiamo Ko. Dillamond wasn't taking this decision lightly- knowing he was assisting in picking the future Queen of the Vinkus. Once he had a list of some thirty-odd names, he began to look at each suggested girl more carefully and whether they would be suitable- not only as queen, but as Fiyero's wife.

The whole process was done very discreetly, Fiyero and Dillamond had agreed they did not want the public knowing about the plan to select a new queen, nor did they want too many court officials trying to have a say in determining who would be the new queen. They would then choose a dozen girls to be brought to the palace as Queen candidates.

It was early one morning almost two months after the banquet and Samira's removal, Dillamond headed out of the castle and into the town. He'd been up all night investigating one of the young girls on the list of names, and had decided some fresh air and a walk through the marketplace would do him a world of good before he had to return to his office.

"Good morning, Dillamond!" called out the baker, and Dillamond approached him with a warm smile, for they were old friends.

They had known each other for ten years, since Hamansh had moved to the Vinkus from Munchkinland.

"Good morning, Hamansh. How are you? How's business?"

"As fine as ever. You're looking tired, my old friend. Is palace life that strenuous?" he teased good-naturedly and Dillamond laughed.

"Not at all. I'm just working on a matter at the moment that is requiring a lot of attention and careful thought."

Hamansh gestured into his store. "Can you spare a moment? I have some leftover spinach from the spinach and fetta rolls I baked this morning," he offered.

Dillamond hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and it had been awhile since he'd had a moment to spend with his old friend.

"Why not?" he agreed.

When they'd taken a seat in the tiny kitchen at the back of the bakery where Hamansh baked his bread, the baker looked at the Goat in concern.

"You really look tired, Dillamond. Can I be of any assistance in whatever matter you're dealing with? You know whatever you tell me won't leave this room."

Dillamond did know, and after a moment's consideration he agreed and told his friend what he was doing.

Hamansh looked thoughtful when Dillamond had finished. "Are there many girls from here being considered?"

"Two," Dillamond nodded. "A Miss Pfannee Goodwin and Miss Magalie Camden."

Dillamond frowned as his friend merely nodded slowly. "You don't recommend them?"

"Miss Magalie is a lovely young girl," Hamansh assured him. "Miss Pfannee, I think, is not so different than Samira was. But her family is very wealthy and well-connected."

Hamansh was well-liked and respected in the city, and knew pretty much everyone and Dillamond knew this.

"Is there anyone else you can think of?"

Hamansh hesitated for a moment. "I admit, there was one girl that came to mind when you said what you were looking for," he admitted.

"But I wouldn't recommend her. Not for any fault of her own," he hastened to add. "I just think, although she would be an ideal candidate for queen, she isn't what the king is looking for."

"Why not?" Dillamond demanded. "Who is this girl?"

Hamansh took a sip of his tea before answering. "Miss Elphaba Thropp. She's nineteen and was adopted by her cousin when she was seven. You may know of him, he works as one of the palace guards. Shell Thropp?"

"Oh, yes!" Dillamond exclaimed in surprise. "I know him. I didn't know he had a cousin, though."

Hamansh chuckled. "No. Shell is _very_ protective of Elphaba. She rarely leaves the house, and even if people know of her, they wouldn't know her name. But she's highly intelligent and politically-minded. And although not everyone would agree with me, she's quite the beauty."

"Why would they not agree?" Dillamond asked in bewilderment and the baker smiled gently.

"Miss Elphaba is green, Dillamond."

"Green? I don't understand," Dillamond frowned.

"Her skin is green. Actually, today is her market day, she'll be in soon if you'd like to see her for yourself?"

Dillamond was curious by the description of Miss Elphaba, and nodded immediately. "I think I will."

As he finished his tea, he wondered why his source hadn't listed Miss Elphaba as a possibility before. The more Hamansh told him about the girl, the more he thought she sounded like an ideal candidate. The green skin, of course, was a note of interest and the Goat suspected that was why Miss Elphaba's name hadn't been mentioned prior. It was also curious that Hamansh said she very rarely left the house, and was so close watched by her cousin.

Dillamond turned discreetly to the door every time it opened, but he was waiting for twenty minutes before the door revealed a young girl with long black hair hanging loosely to her waist and, and as he could clearly see when she lowered the hood of her cloak, emerald green skin.

"Good morning, Miss Elphaba. The usual, this morning?"

"Yes, please. I might get a few scones too. Shell mentioned last night he wanted some, so it'll be a nice surprise."

Hamansh get up a lively conversation with the woman as he put together her order. He knew his old friend was in the back listening, and couldn't resist showing him just exactly how intelligent Miss Elphaba Thropp was.

"There's rumours that Miss Samira has fled to the Emerald City," he said casually and Elphaba sighed.

"Well, I suppose that's as good a place as any for a former queen to go to. I suppose she should be commended for fleeing to the City instead of going into hiding; but I suspect her decision has less to do with her pride and more to do with her refusal to go without the finest fashions."

Hamansh chuckled. "She was a Queen for three years, Miss Elphaba and a princess for three years before that. She's become accustomed to a higher standard of living, you can hardly blame her for that."

"If she was only motivated for a life of royalty for a higher standard of living, than it's no wonder she was dethroned," Elphaba retorted. "I may not be amidst the social life of the Vinkus, but it hardly seems to be proper for a queen to dress and live so far above her subjects and not to mix amongst the lower classes. Just because you come to the position through bloodlines or marriage instead of being chosen by the people, doesn't mean that you don't need to win our approval."

Dillamond, listening in the back of the bakery, wasn't sure how to react. He was surprised that a girl so young not only had opinions on such matters, but was so firm on them and willing to speak of them so decidedly.

"Of course," Elphaba continued. "Then on the other extreme you have those who decided the way to win the approval of the people was to bed as many women as possible and deem a weekend unworthy unless you could drink your body weight in alcohol and come stumbling home at the crack of dawn."

Hamansh laughed. "You wouldn't be talking about our King would you, Miss Elphaba? You know he doesn't act that way anymore and indeed, hasn't since he was married."

"But the point is that he _did,__"_ Elphaba replied. "He may yet prove to be a good king, but I think he's trying too hard to shake that old reputation from before he was married."

Dillamond was startled, because these were his own thoughts on the matter, and had told Fiyero such himself many times.

Elphaba paid Hamansh and bid him good day before taking her leave and Hamansh smirked as he retreated to see Dillamond.

"What do you think?"

Dillamond struggled to find words. "She's… I think she knows more than half the court," he admitted and Hamansh laughed.

"She's definitely not afraid to speak her mind," he nodded. "But I'll leave it to you to deem whether she is suitable for what you're looking for, shall I?"

Dillamond nodded wordlessly. He definitely had a lot to think about now…. Was Miss Elphaba Thropp an ideal candidate to be the next Queen of the Vinkus?


	6. Chapter 05

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Five**

Avaric was restless.

It had been two months since he had first approached the king and joined the Vinkun army, and already he was rising through the ranks, having just recently been promoted to Captain.

And he enjoyed having the power and authority that came with his rank, but he still wasn't happy. For so many years, he had been able to simply ride out with his men and raid or attack a nearby town or village, but he was unable to do that here or risk losing his position in the army if he was caught or recognised.

For the most part, he and his wife and sons were happy in their new life. But Avaric had soon discovered that the Vinkus was not as idyllic as he had once thought. Despite its distance from Munchkinland, the Vinkus had a small Munchkin population who had fled to the Vinkus for the same reason Avaric had picked it.

It infuriated Avaric to see them in town, and it made his blood thirst for his old ways with the Lustitiaens even more profound.

"They have homes and businesses, gloating in their prosperity in the face of other's poverty," he spat in disgust as he and his wife discussed the subject.

He'd known that his men hadn't killed _every_Munchkin that night twelve years ago, and that some had fled long before that fateful night…. But to have them here, right under his nose….

But Avaric was a man of action, and it didn't take him long to form a plan. He'd noticed that the feast the king had thrown, and the subsequent removal of the Queen, had not done much to quell the whispers of war in the air.

Avaric had heard court officials murmuring in dark corners to one another, wondering if the kingdom could afford a war, if the king would be able to lead a war and if he was really wise in trying to do so.

"There's talk of war, but I'm yet to see any evidence that a war is necessary other than King Fiyero's need for revenge," Avaric overheard one day.

All through the kingdom, there was whispers of mistrust. Were the Ugabians really a threat, and were there those within the Vinkus who wished to see them succeed?

This was the opportunity Avaric had been waiting for. Discreetly rallying his fellow Lustitiaens, he launched into action his plan that would solve both his problems of the Munchkins and his restless energy.

For all the whispers of war, no one in the Vinkus, either citizen or member of the court, was prepared for what came next.

A sudden onslaught of attacks on the homes and businesses of Munchkins came seemingly from nowhere. Rumours spread that the Munchkins were sympathetic to the cause of the Ugabians and supported the idea of them taking control of the Vinkus.

Not all Munchkins in the Vinkus were known as Munchkins, there were many families and individuals that could pass as Gilikinese or even as native Vinkuns. And these could only stand by helplessly and watch as fear and hatred of their people began to spread throughout the kingdom.

Elphaba was distraught when Hamansh's bakery was vandalised in the middle of the night, the baker himself beaten severely and left in a pool of blood to die. Shell wasted no time in inviting Nanny and Boq to live with him and Elphaba, where it would be safer for them.

Nanny didn't protest, but Boq did.

"I'm twenty years old, Nanny," he complained when Shell brought up the idea when Nanny and Boq were over for dinner. "I'm not afraid."

"It's not about being afraid, dimwit," Elphaba snapped at him. "It's about not wanting to end up like Hamansh, or any of our friends! Do you think that would stop whoever is behind all the attacks? That they won't burn your home down if they know you aren't afraid?"

"Elphaba," Nanny chided her quietly as the green girl's voice rose, and she fell silent.

Both Elphaba and Boq looked suitably abashed and Shell spoke into the silence that followed.

"I think we can all agree that it's not safe to make our Munchkin heritage known. Luckily, we can all pass as Gilikinese, so that's not an issue."

"Yes, Boq is just a very _short_Gilikinese," Elphaba retorted with a small smirk and Boq flicked a pea at her with a scowl.

"You know I'm half- Vinkun, Elphie."

"And I'm green, why split hairs? And _don__'__t_call me Elphie!" Elphaba protested the hated childhood nickname Boq had bestowed upon her in their youth.

Shell intervened quickly. "Whilst we're on the discussion of names… Fabala, I think we should change yours."

Elphaba gaped at her cousin. "What? Why?"

Shell had known she wouldn't like the idea. "Elphaba is a very Munchkin name. Distinctly recognisable as coming from the province."

"A person's name isn't always a direct link to their heritage!" Elphaba protested. "Why should I be the only one who has to change their name?"

"My name is Gilikinese," Shell pointed out patiently. "And no-one knows Nanny as anything but 'Nanny', so her name isn't a question."

"And my name is an old, popular Quadling name!" Boq crowed triumphantly.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "Really? I always thought it was an acronym. So Boq _doesn__'__t_ stand for Boorish Obnoxious Quack?" she asked bitingly and Boq narrowed his eyes.

With long-suffering patience, Shell appealed to Elphaba, his tone almost pleading. "Fabala, listen to me. I'm trying to keep you safe, as I always have. Munchkins are being targeted, and unfortunately…. You stand out enough as it is."

Elphaba met his eyes for a moment and then sighed, lowering her eyes to glower at her emerald arms.

"Fine. So, what do you suggest my name be?"

Nanny and Shell exchanged a thoughtful glance.

"What about Fae?" Nanny suggested. "It's a Vinkun name."

"Fae?" Elphaba repeated tentatively, sounding it out on her tongue.

"I think it's perfect," Boq chimed in and Elphaba looked at him warily.

"You do?"

"Sure. Doesn't Fae mean Freakish And Emerald? It's literally perfect for you!"

Elphaba reached over the table and punched him hard in the arm, but nodded to Shell.

"Fine. Fae it is."

Nanny and Boq agreed to move in with Elphaba and Shell, and Elphaba insisted they begin calling her and referring to her by her new name, to help her become accustomed to it. Tensions in the Munchkin community continued to rise. Shell became even more protective of Elphaba, and refused to even let her leave the house for market day, much to her dismay.

Nanny and Boq took a few days to move into the house. On the day they officially moved in, Boq offered to do the market run. Elphaba gave him a careful, specific list of what to get and he stood there and rolled his eyes as she lectured him on what to do.

"Come on, El- Fae," he interrupted, almost slipping up as he said her name. He was the only one that did still.

"You don't trust me to handle getting a few groceries?"

Elphaba huffed. "Not when the last time I asked you to get me something from the market, you brought me a cabbage instead of a lettuce."

"That was months ago!" Boq protested. "You have to learn to let things go, Elphie."

"It's Fae, remember?" she snapped, pinching him sharply and making him yelp.

"Why do you insist on doing that every time I slip up?" he demanded.

"In the hope you'll remember and associate that Oz-awful nickname with pain, and hence, cease to use it. Repeat after me- _Fae._It's only one syllable, it's not that hard to remember!"

"I remember, I remember. Fae. Feisty Arrogant Expatriate," he grinned and slipped out the door with a cheerful wave.

Elphaba spent much of the first half hour Boq was gone planning acts of revenge. Since his first acronym for FAE had been greeted with a "is that the best you can think of?" from Elphaba, he kept coming up with new ones.

But when three hours went by, Elphaba and Nanny began to worry.

"It shouldn't take this long to buy a few things," Elphaba fretted nervously. "Where is he?"

Nanny patted her arm, calmly. "Don't worry, dearie. If he's not back by the time Shell returns home from work, _then_we'll worry. You know what Boq's head is like. The boy gets distracted by anything shiny."

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

When Shell came home from work, he was met at the door by Elphaba and Nanny.

"What's happened?" he asked alarmed, seeing their anxiety.

Elphaba bit her lip before answering. "Boq left for the market four and a half hours ago and hasn't come home. We're starting to worry."

Shell frowned in concern, then abruptly the colour drained from his face and he gaped at Nanny in horror.

"What? What is it?" she demanded.

Shell swallowed hard. "We heard at the gate today…. Twenty- four young men have been brought to the castle."

"What for?" Elphaba demanded, wondering if Boq was among them.

"It's a tradition," Shell began hesitantly, avoiding both women's gazes. "The last time it was done was before the King's marriage to Samira. We were speculating that it must mean we're going to soon have a new Queen."

"Shell!" Elphaba interrupted impatiently. "What are they taken to the castle for? Is Boq in trouble?"

Shell closed his eyes briefly. "They are to be eunuchs."

Elphaba's eyes widened and she gasped. Then she turned to look at Nanny.

The old woman was staring at Shell with all the horror and disbelief Elphaba was feeling and knew must be written all over her own face. And then very slowly, Nanny crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

**AN. So, um... awkward. If you don't know what an eunuch is, they... they take young men and... remove a certain part from their anatomy... the eunuchs then serve the court (they're basically servants). So, yeah...**

**And Julia, it's still not funny!**


	7. Chapter 06

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. So, the theme for reviews for the last chapter seemed to be "poor Boq" which I agree with. LOL.**

**In other news... I kinda started a blog the other day. We'll see how it goes, but considering it's based around my FF profile and _Wicked _ if anyone wants to read, that'd be great. The link is on my profile page.**

**Chapter Six**

When Dillamond was ready to begin the process of selecting the new Vinkun Queen, he called together a few of the guards he trusted most and gave them a list of addresses and surnames. Some left earlier than others, depending on the distance they were expected to travel, but all were given the same orders.

"I want you to go to these homes. Find these young women, and escort them back to the palace. Don't be rough with them. Let them back a small bag and say goodbye to their families."

The guards all knew these girls weren't given an option to refuse the "invitation", but even they didn't know why the dozen girls from all throughout the Vinkus were being summoned to Kiamo Ko.

It was Shell's friend Otho and another guard who often worked the gate who were given Shell's address.

"Thropp?" Otho frowned at the paper in his hand as the carriage neared the house. "I thought Shell lived alone?"

"Maybe it's a different Thropp?" the other guard suggested half-heartedly.

They both knew Thropp wasn't a very common surname.

When Otho knocked heavily on the door, it was opened by Shell, who looked surprised to see his friends at the door on his day off.

"Hello, men. What can I do for you?"

Otho cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We've got orders from Dillamond, Shell. Direct from the King. We're here to escort a Miss Thropp to the castle."

Shell paled. "What?" he asked faintly, and Otho gave him the orders to see for himself.

Shell read it all carefully, and his heart sank. Nothing missed his attention- and he'd worked at the palace long enough to know the direction to pack a bag and say goodbye to their families knew there was a very real chance he may never see his little cousin again, the one he had spent so long trying to protect.

Part of his mind was wondering how anyone even knew about Elphaba to put her on any list, and for what reason these girls could be summoned to Kiamo Ko for.

He considered for a wild moment, the possibility of hiding Elphaba away, or denying her existence, but knew it wasn't possible.

"Shell… I didn't know you had…. Who is she?" Otho asked and Shell hesitated.

"My cousin. I raised her after her parents died," he said quietly.

"Why did you never mention her? Twelve years, man," the other guard said and Shell sighed.

"Uh… Fae," he said, being careful not to call her Elphaba. "Fae is…. I try and keep her out of the public's eye. You'll see why. Hang on, I'll go get her."

With a heavy heart, he slowly headed upstairs. Nanny, in her grief over Boq's fate, had been bedridden for the three days since it happened and Elphaba had tended to her every moment.

"Fae?"

She looked up from Nanny's bedside with a small smile. "Who was at the door, Shell?"

The smile faded as her cousin's expression registered. "Shell? What's going on?"

Sadly, Shell handed her the orders Otho had been given. It took Elphaba a moment to register that her surname was on the list, the orders, and what that signified.

Then she looked up at her cousin, panicked. "Shell? What does this mean?"

Shell couldn't even speak, he simply hugged her tightly.

"What do I do?" she whispered and Shell forced a gentle smile onto his face.

"You pack a bag."

"What would happen if I refused?" Elphaba asked stubbornly but Shell shook his head quickly.

"Don't, Elphaba," he said solemnly, slipping up on her name but not caring in this moment.

"I don't understand what is going on, or why you're being summoned. I haven't heard of anything happening in the castle before, so for it to be _this_ secret- it's something big. But I know it would be dangerous to refuse or to do anything other than what you're told. So, please… don't cause any commotions."

Elphaba smiled slightly for the first time since seeing the orders. "I don't cause commotions. I am one."

Shell smiled too, it was an old joke from when she was a child. "I know."

Reluctantly, Elphaba went to her room and packed a small bag. It didn't contain much, but it felt as though it were loaded with rocks as Elphaba carried it downstairs.

She saw and ignored the startled expressions of the guards waiting at the door for her. All her focus was on Shell as her cousin hugged her tightly and tried not to cry.

"I'm sorry, Fabala," he whispered to her. "I tried to keep you safe… and I failed."

Elphaba shook her head fiercely and pulled back to look at the man who had raised her. "No, you didn't Shell. I will be fine, you'll see. This isn't going to be the last time we see one another."

Shell didn't look convinced and she smiled. "Besides. It's Fae."

He managed a weak chuckle and Elphaba kissed his cheek swiftly. "I love you, Shell. Thank you. For everything."

Shell said nothing as Elphaba turned and Otho escorted her into the carriage.

After Elphaba, the carriage stopped to pick up another two girls. Elphaba watched in silence as the girls said goodbye to their families and joined her in the carriage. They both did the same double take when they saw Elphaba sitting there, but said nothing to her.

The first made a point of sitting as far away from Elphaba as possible. She was a very attractive girl, but also seemed very stuck up. She spent the whole carriage ride filing her nails, not even sparing Elphaba a glance.

The second had been in tears from the moment she'd had to say goodbye to her parents and siblings. She didn't seem as wary as the other about sitting near Elphaba, but stared out of the carriage, silent tears running down her face and her blue eyes anxious and filled with dread.

Now that the initial shock and fear had worn off slightly, Elphaba was more curious as to anything about why they were being summoned to Kiamo Ko. There was a slight feeling of dread of course, and that feeling steadily grew as they approached the castle, but Elphaba was itching to be able to demand answers as to what was going on.

She also realised that if she were going to the castle, she might have a chance of seeing Boq and wondered if perhaps her situation was similar. Were they being taken to the castle to become servants to the new queen?

"Here we are, ladies," one of the guards said as the carriage rolled to a stop outside the front doors of the castle.

The stuck up girl scrambled to be escorted out of the carriage first, and Elphaba followed quietly, taking her first look at the castle.

It was a beautiful old building, made of non-baked clay bricks and spread over a huge area of land. It overlooked the entire Greater Kells City, and Elphaba was sure if she was to turn around she'd be able to see her house just from the front doors alone, despite the fact their house was on the city outskirts.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by one of the guards clearing his throat and she turned to see he was holding the castle door open. The other guard and two girls had already entered, and he was waiting for Elphaba to follow. She flushed, but said nothing as she hastily picked up her skirts and entered the castle.

They led the girls through many corridors, until they reached an outdoor paved area, overlooking a beautiful garden. The paved area was shaded, with many cushions scattered around the floor. Some of these were taken with yet more girls, their expressions with various degrees of apprehension.

Standing before them was an old Goat. He smiled reassuringly at Elphaba and the other two girls as they entered and gestured to the cushions.

"Welcome, ladies. Please take a seat. Hopefully we'll begin soon."

Elphaba, already feeling the other girls in the room staring at her openly, immediately chose a cushion at the back and a little away from the others and sat down. She was puzzled that the Goat didn't seem surprised to see she was green, and added that to her list of questions to ask.

"Would you care for a refreshment?" the Goat asked the three new arrivals.

Whilst the stuck up girl accepted immediately, as though she had been waiting for a long time to be offered a drink and it was about time the offer _had_been made; Elphaba and the other girl refused, Elphaba silently, and the other with a quiet and polite "no thank you."

Over the next hour, more girls arrived, all escorted by guards and looking nervous and confused.

When all twelve cushions were taken, the Goat cleared his throat, although it wasn't required to call their attention to him. Hardly a word had been spoken.

"Welcome," he said with a warm smile. "My name is Dillamond. I am the King's Chamberlain and for the time being, your guide. I am sure you are all wondering why you have been summoned here at such short notice. Allow me to assure you that you have nothing to be afraid of. Indeed, this is the beginning of a new adventure. One of _you_, will become the new Queen of the Vinkus."

The nervous silence was broken as several of the girls gasped in amazement and whispered to the girls next to them. Elphaba said nothing, but one eyebrow rose sceptically.

Queen? They were here… _she_ was here… to be considered as _Queen?_Elphaba now had a new question for her list- who in the name of Oz had come up with the bright idea of putting _her_name on the list of suggestions?

Dillamond cleared his throat again, this time with the purpose of quietening the din.

"Over the next month, you will engage in both a routine of beauty and spa treatments, as well as learning about the duties that will be expected of you as Queen. After the month, you will each be given one night with the King. The King will, of course, make the final decision. Those of you who are not chosen will remain in the castle as concubines. If your family can arrange a marriage and dowry for you, you will be able to return home if you are not chosen."

Elphaba's heart sank. She knew why this was so. Women who were unmarried and not pure would be ostracized and shunned in society, often forced into prostitution to find food. Unless the girls' family could find someone willing to marry them, it was much more desirable to remain in the castle as a concubine, where at least you were guaranteed food and a good life.

Elphaba knew there was no way Shell would be able to raise the money for a dowry, let alone arrange a marriage for her. No one would agree to marry the green girl.

Dillamond was speaking again. "We have rooms prepared for you for the next month. Eunuchs will be here to serve you if there should be anything you desire to make your stay more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask. Now, I've assigned you to rooms. There will be four girls to a room. When I call your name, could you please stand? And then I think we'll give you some time to settle in before reconvening for dinner and getting to know one another."

He pulled out a list and began to read. ""Miss Gl-gl-linda?"

A beautiful girl with blonde curls spilling over her shoulders jumped up, shaking her head. "No, it's _Ga_linda. With a _'__Ga__'__._Miss Galinda Upland."

Dillamond bowed his head. "Of course. My apologies."

"Miss Pfannee?"

The stuck up girl who had been in the carriage with Elphaba rose to her feet.

"Miss Aysha?"

A shy-looking girl with dark skin and dark brown hair slowly rose to her feet, her face pale.

Dillamond glanced down at his list, although he had no real need. He knew who the fourth girl was already.

"And Miss-?"

Elphaba saw his eyes flicker to her for a moment and jumped to her feet gracefully and swiftly before he could finish.

"Fae," she announced herself and Dillamond was surprised, although he didn't show it.

He didn't know why she was introducing herself by a different name, but decided not to mention anything of it.

"Welcome, Miss Fae. You four ladies are in room one. I trust it is to your satisfaction. Otho, please escort the young women to their room?"

The guard who had picked up Elphaba nodded and gestured for the girls to follow him. Elphaba felt the remaining eight girls watch them leave. She knew most of them were already imagining themselves as queen, and seeing the others as competition to the crown that must be eliminated.

Elphaba simply focused on learning her way around Kiamo Ko, already resigning herself to a life as a concubine. What other possibility was there?


	8. Chapter 07

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. For something different, Galinda and Elphaba won't be friends... yet. Plus, I like Aysha.**

**And today is my uni graduation day! Thinking I'll post photos both on twitter and my blog (www DOT vinkunwildflowerqueen DOT blogspot DOT com) :D**

**Chapter Seven**

The room that would be Elphaba's home for the next month was very beautiful. It was large and spacious and had a beautiful view overlooking the city.

Well, Elphaba thought it was beautiful.

"Ugh, what a horrible view," sneered Pfannee, scowling at the windows. "Why couldn't we get a room with a view of the gardens? I'm going to see what the others got, and if they got better than we did, I'm going to demand a room change."

Elphaba supressed a groan. Great. She was now roomed with one of _those _girls for the next month, who might then become her queen. That was just great.

Pfannee was very beautiful. She had honey coloured hair that hung straight, framing her face and just brushing her shoulders. Her eyes were hazel and enhanced by a great deal of eye make-up, and her skin was tanned and golden. She wasn't as tall as Elphaba was, but she wore six-inch heels to make her taller, so she did indeed seem taller than Elphaba. She was curvaceous and wore fine clothes made from the latest fashion.

"Does anyone mind if I take the bed by the window?" asked the blonde, Galinda, already dumping her bag on the aforementioned bed.

"I need the natural light to benefit my skin."

Pfannee raised an eyebrow. "Really? It's Miss Upland, isn't it?"

Galinda tossed her blonde ringlets over her shoulder. "Actually, the Goat didn't introduce me properly. It's Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands."

"Isn't that in Gilikin?" asked Pfannee, frowning uncertainly.

"Yes," Galinda replied.

Pfannee stared at her. "So, you're Gilikinese. How can you be considered for queen?"

Galinda stared back at her. "I've lived in the Vinkus all my life. My parents moved here after they were married for my father's work. So I _am_ a Vinkun by birth. I just choose to adopt the acknowledgement of my family heritage. Is that so wrong?"

No one replied and Galinda began to unpack her bag. Her blonde curls reached to about her shoulder blades, and she had blue eyes. Her skin was creamy white, and she was quite petite. She was dressed in fine clothes, not quite as expensive looking as Pfannee's, but not far off.

Elphaba had said nothing so far, she couldn't think of anything to say. She merely chose an empty bed and sank down on it.

"Is that a picture of the King?"

Elphaba looked up instinctively at the sound of Pfannee's voice, not that she particularly cared. But sure enough, Galinda was placing a small framed official portrait of the king on the nightstand beside her bed.

"Yes it is," Galinda replied with a smile. "Won't we make a wonderful couple?"

Pfannee glared at the blonde. "What? You're assuming _you__'__ll_be chosen queen?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Galinda demanded hotly. "He's perfect, I'm perfect… so we're perfect together!"

Pfannee stepped right up into her personal space and sneered. "I hate to break it to you, Miss Perfect, but _I__'__m_going to be queen. And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way. Understood?"

Elphaba couldn't help but snort, and caught the attention of both girls.

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression it was the _king__'__s_decision who to marry? And despite his prior escapades involving women, I'm hoping the next queen will have something in her head besides cotton wool. Which rules out both of you, from what I've seen in the past two minutes alone."

Galinda spluttered at Elphaba in indignation. "Excuse me? What are _you_even doing here? You're _green!__"_

Elphaba looked bored. "Yet another example of your marvellous observation skills in only thirty seconds."

"You think the King would choose someone like _you_as queen?" Pfannee smirked. "Queen Artichoke? How did you even get chosen for this?"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You think I volunteered?" she demanded hotly. "Believe it or not, being queen has never topped my to-do list. And I could care less about trying to impress a king who spent most of his bachelor days trying to bed every girl who blinked at him; and then banished his idiot of a wife and tries to pretend she never existed."

All three girls in the room stared at her, and then Pfannee and Galinda left without another word. Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes, turning around to unpack the small bag she'd brought from home.

A small sound caught her attention, and Elphaba looked back to see the fourth girl, Aysha, sitting on the last available bed, trying to supress her tears.

Elphaba froze, uncertain. Having been around so few people in her life, and especially in the past twelve years, she wasn't sure how to deal with the crying girl. But the girl reminded Elphaba faintly of Nessarose, and she tentatively approached the bed.

"Er, Aysha? Are you alright?"

"I want to go home," Aysha sobbed quietly and Elphaba softened. She could definitely relate to that feeling.

"Do you have a large family at home?" she asked, sitting down beside her and Aysha nodded.

"My parents and my three younger brothers. I've never been this far away from home before."

Elphaba sighed. "That might make it easier for you. My home is right here in the city, and it's awful knowing I'm so close to home, but can't be there."

Aysha sniffed. "What's your family like?"

Elphaba smiled sadly. "It's only my cousin and I. He raised me…. It's going to be hard for me not to see him," she admitted.

"He might be able to pay for your release," Aysha suggested half-heartedly and Elphaba chuckled.

"No, he can't. And even if he could, no one would be willing to marry me. I don't know who in Oz's name suggested me for this."

"Have- have you always been green?" Aysha asked shyly, and Elphaba nodded.

"Yes," she replied shortly.

Aysha became slightly more cheerful as they talked, and Elphaba encouraged the young girl to make the best of their situation.

"You're not alone," she assured her before they left for dinner. "There's a dozen of us. And you never know, the King may for desperately in love with you and make you queen. Personally, of all the girls I've met so far, I'd rather he pick you over any of them."

Aysha blushed. "Thank you, Fae."

Elphaba was thoughtful as they left the room. She wasn't thrilled about having to share with either Galinda or Pfannee, but was hopeful that Aysha, at least, would make the next month bearable. Of course, all Elphaba was basing her hope on was the fact the girl hadn't seemed too perturbed by Elphaba's green skin, but it was something right?

The food proved to be excellent, it was of the highest quality and no expense was spared. Elphaba heard some of the girls- the ones who had clustered themselves around Galinda and Pfannee, complaining that the food was too heavy and fatty, but Elphaba wasn't picky.

Elphaba had always thought herself above such pettiness, but she was surprised to find herself feeling slightly smug that she had never had to worry about her weight. She was thin, always had been, and that never changed no matter what she ate. But she gathered most of the girls did not have that particular advantage.

Most of the girls were talking quietly, getting to know one another. Aysha sat beside Elphaba shyly, picking half-heartedly at her plate of food. Evidently Elphaba's pep talk hadn't been as inspiring as she'd thought. Elphaba sat back and looked up at the castle thoughtfully.

She couldn't help but be curious about where the king was. Would they have no glimpse of him for the next month? She hardly thought one night would be sufficient enough to decide who would be his wife, but what did she know about these matters?

No matter how she thought about it, Elphaba couldn't see how anyone, let alone the king, could meet a girl and decide in a night who to spend the rest of his life with. Unless of course, something happened and they ended up like Samira.

Elphaba supposed that the king thought any girl would be honoured to be chosen queen, and have no hesitation about accepting his proposal. And from what she'd seen so far, that was exactly what was happening.

Elphaba wasn't exactly a romantic by any means, but something didn't sit right with her about the whole concept. Sadly, and more than a little wistfully, she thought of Shell. Was he still blaming himself for failing to protect her?

She didn't know how anyone knew about her to nominate her as a candidate for queen, she so rarely left the house. She was also wondering about Boq. Was he here somewhere? Was he okay?

She couldn't help herself from looking at every servant she saw, hoping to see him, but she didn't.

"We begin at seven o'clock tomorrow morning, ladies!" Dillamond called eventually. "So, I suggest you retire. I shall see you in the morning."

Elphaba sighed and looked over at Aysha. "Ready for this?"

Aysha managed a small smile. "Make the best of it, right?"

"Right," she agreed.

Whatever the next month, and the time after that held for them, they would make the best of it. Elphaba was good at that at least. She'd been doing it her whole life.


	9. Chapter 08

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Eight**

Dillamond soon settled the girls into a routine. Their mornings consisted of beauty treatments, being pampered having scented oils rubbed into their skin and hair. They spent hours soaking in baths of rose water, and having maids fuss with their hair until it shone and felt like silk. They were given beautiful, flowing clothes of soft cloths, and a wide range of exquisite and expensive make up was made available to them.

Elphaba didn't approve of the beauty treatments, but not for the reasons one might think.

"As if all these beauty treatments will do _her _any good," Elphaba heard Pfannee sneer.

"They won't degreenify her," Galinda agreed.

Privately, Elphaba thought they had a point. But that wasn't why she was against spending every morning for a month being pampered.

"If the King is only interested in whoever is the most physically beautiful, I hardly think the new queen will be any better than the last," she complained to Aysha, who smiled sympathetically.

"Fae, haven't you been listening to what you've been telling me all week?" she asked. "About making the most of things?"

Elphaba sighed heavily. "Fine," she agreed reluctantly and Aysha laughed.

The two girls had become rather good friends in the past few days. Aysha was a shy, very sweet girl, and Elphaba still stood by her belief that she would be a good queen if chosen, and King Fiyero would be lucky to choose her.

On the fourth morning after their arrival, Elphaba finished her breakfast and decided to take a small walk before begin the usual morning routine. She invited Aysha to accompany her, but was glad when the girl refused. She needed a few moments of solitude.

The candidates had been given their own small garden off the outdoor area where they ate their meals, where they would be in no danger of running into the King or any of the court officials. One rule had been drummed into them from the very first day: No one, whether servant, guest (which the candidates were being classed as) or Queen, was to approach the King without first being summoned. The penalty for doing so, was immediate death.

Elphaba was silent as she walked through the garden, lost in thoughts. She missed Shell and Nanny dearly, and had still seen no sign of Boq, though she looked carefully. And it still felt odd to be referred to and answering to "Fae." She smiled to herself as she reflected that she even almost missed Boq calling her 'Elphie.'

"Elphie?"

Startled, she whirled around, thinking for a moment that she had been hearing things. But when she turned, there was Boq, dressed in the basic uniform that all the servants wore, and staring at her with a stunned look on his face.

"Boq!" she gasped, and he smiled ruefully.

"Actually, it's Kos now," he corrected her sadly. "They changed all of our names."

Elphaba tilted her head thoughtfully. "Kos," Elphaba repeated. "So, it's Kind Of Stupid? Still seems appropriate," she said teasingly, and a shadow of a grin crossed Boq's face.

"Is that the best you can come up with?" he teased back and they shared a smile.

"What are you _doing_ here?" he asked and Elphaba frowned.

"You haven't heard about this ridiculous beauty pageant they're running to choose a new queen?"

Boq looked surprised. "They picked _you?__"_ he asked incredulously, and then grimaced apologetically.

Elphaba only laughed. "It's OK. I don't understand it either," she admitted.

Then she paused, remembering what Shell had said when Boq had first been taken. "Are you okay? I've been trying to look for you…"

Boq reddened slightly. "I'm… they…"

Elphaba didn't need him to say what they had done to him. "I know."

"How's Nanny?" Boq asked and Elphaba hesitated.

"She misses you. Shell is taking care of her."

"Have you seen him?" Boq asked and Elphaba shook her head sadly.

"No. It was awful when I left…. He blames himself."

"What for?" Boq asked and Elphaba laughed.

"Have you not met my cousin?"

Boq smiled and to Elphaba's extreme surprise and slight discomfort, he hugged her. They had never been close friends, more so they had been thrown together and had had no choice but to become friends. But he had never hugged her before.

"You'll see him again, Elphie," he said softly and Elphaba rolled her eyes to hide sudden tears.

"It's _Fae_thank you, Kos," she replied pointedly. "I should get back. I'm glad you're here… even though what happened to you was horrendible, it's nice to have a friendly face."

"I could say the same… even if you are green," Boq teased and Elphaba shoved him playfully before hurrying away, her mood considerably brighter than it had been earlier.

In the afternoons, after lunch, the girls had time to themselves. Some, like Pfannee and Galinda, chose to have additional beauty treatments. Others sat around and talked, but Elphaba was never sure if they were doing so to make friends or determine who was their competition to the throne.

Elphaba chose to read. The candidates had access to the castle library in the afternoons, but none save Elphaba chose to use it. She read all the books on Vinkun law and custom that she could find. When Dillamond brought up the subject with her one day when he ran into her on the way to dinner, Elphaba shrugged.

"Regardless of whether I am expecting or hoping to be chosen queen, wouldn't it be prudent to actually know how the kingdom is governed? And the castle library has so much resources than anywhere else. If I am to be here, no matter what happens at the end of the month, I am trying to make the best of the situation."

Dillamond was impressed, and his regard for the green-skinned girl heightened.

"I credit your dedication, Miss Fae," he said and escorted her to dinner.

At the end of their second week, Elphaba was startled when there was a knock on the door of their room at dusk one night.

"Boq!" she said in surprise when she opened it.

Aysha looked over too. "Who is it, Fae?"

Elphaba cringed, realising she had called Boq by his old name, but she just _couldn__'__t_ call him Kos.

"This is my old friend, Boq. He's a servant in the castle," she introduced him.

Aysha smiled at him, Pfannee ignored him and Galinda merely glanced his way. Boq's eyes almost fell out of his head when his eyes landed on the petite blonde and Elphaba resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Boq, this is Aysha, Pfannee and Galinda."

"Hello," he greeted them respectfully, but his eyes lingered on Galinda.

Galinda didn't spare him a second glance as she made to leave the room. "Excuse me, Bick."

"It's Boq," he called after her faintly, and Elphaba snorted.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and Boq glanced at Pfannee and Aysha.

"Er, Dillamond would like to see you. Something about a book…."

Dillamond had often been loaning or referring Elphaba to different books, so this wasn't uncommon.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll be back in a minute, Aysha," she called back and Aysha nodded.

Boq took her arm and tugged her hastily as they headed down the corridor.

"What's the rush?" Elphaba demanded.

"Come quickly, we don't have much time!"

"For a book?"

Boq only shushed her. They slipped through the halls until they emerged into the kitchens and through a side door.

"What's going on?" Elphaba whispered, and Boq merely led her through the shadows to the wall that bordered the castle grounds.

There was a movement that made Elphaba still, uncertain about what was happening, and then a figure stepped forward.

"Fabala?"

"Shell!" she gasped and flew forward to hug her cousin tightly.

"Thank Oz you're okay," Shell sounded immensely relieved and Elphaba couldn't help but chuckle as she pulled back.

"Why wouldn't I be? What did you think they were doing to us?" she teased and he laughed.

"So, tell me how you are?" Shell asked urgently, and Elphaba obediently told him everything, for once thankful that her cousin was so overprotective of her.

"I can't stay long… but I had to know you were okay," he said gently and Elphaba smiled.

"I am, I promise you…. And whatever happens, I'll keep myself safe," she assured him and Shell hugged her again.

"I'll try and see you again soon. Be safe, Fabala."

"You too. Take care of yourself, Shell," Elphaba beseeched him and it was his turn to smile reassuringly.

"I will. Nanny sends her love… to both of you," Shell said, looking at Boq.

"We should go, Elphie," Boq whispered.

Elphaba nodded and hugged Shell one last time. "Goodbye," she said and hurried away with Boq, back into the shadows of the castle.


	10. Chapter 09

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Update day! Can you believe it's only a week until Christmas? Crazy! And just over a month until I move away from my home, family and friends to a tiny, tiny town for my first teaching job... lot's of deep breaths happening here.**

**Also, you may have seen I posted a one-shot yesterday, "The planting of seeds". It's just a short one-shot from Elphaba's perspective of the dance in "Far longer than forever" when Fiyero gets drunk and calls Elphaba "his vinkun wildflower"**

**Writing Drunk Fiyero could be the weirdest thing I've ever done.**

**Chapter Nine**

As lunch was finishing one day early in the candidates last week of their month's preparation, Dillamond cleared his throat to address the girls.

"Ladies, we have plans for this afternoon, so please do not disappear!"

Surprised, all the girls waited for him to elaborate.

"Although being queen has its responsibilities and duties," Dillamond said. "It is also a life of finery. We want you to be able to make the finest impression on the king that you can. So, if you would please follow me."

He led them through the castle, down into the dungeons. He stopped outside a heavy door, and turned to address the candidates once more.

"Beyond this door, is the castle treasury," he began and then had to wait as several of the girls squealed excitedly.

"Every jewel that has ever been given to the kingdom-"

Elphaba snorted at the word 'given'. Aysha subtly elbowed her in the ribs and Elphaba remained silent.

"-Is in this room. To help you best impress the king, you are welcome to choose from anything in the room with which to accessorise yourself for your one night. Anything you take, will be yours to keep. Anything you can wear on you in the next ten minutes, is yours."

Most of the girls, Pfannee and Galinda at the front, were practically salivating by now, and they reminded Elphaba of a puppy begging for a treat.

As soon as Dillamond opened the doors, there was practically a stampede as the girls began to fight and scramble for the best pieces. Aysha drifted off to admire a few pieces, but Elphaba only stood near the door, feeling overwhelmed.

She had never been one for jewellery, but the task itself seemed daunting. How was _she_ to know which pieces the king would like best? She had never met the man, and for some reason, Dillamond had never deemed it appropriate to teach the candidates anything about the man one of them would marry.

"Miss Fae? If you don't hurry, all the best pieces will be gone," Dillamond said quietly from behind her, watching the other girls pile themselves up with jewellery.

"I don't really wear jewellery," Elphaba admitted.

Then, remembering her decision to make the best of everything, she held her head up high and turned to Dillamond.

"What would the King like?"

Dillamond was stunned for a moment, and then his face softened into a smile. "I have just the thing. Wait here," he instructed her, and the Goat disappeared.

Elphaba waited patiently, watching Pfannee and Magalie, the other girl chosen from their town, argue over who had seen a particular bracelet first.

"Here we are."

Elphaba accepted the small box the Goat handed her, and opened it slowly. And even she had to admit what lay inside was beautiful.

It was a simple diamond necklace that Elphaba could tell would sit high up on her neck, just under her collarbone. There were also matching earrings, and Elphaba was reminded slightly of the jewellery her mother had had, and when she had let Elphaba watch her dress up for whatever government event she and Frex were going to.

"Thank you," she said sincerely to Dillamond. "It's beautiful."

Dillamond smiled warmly at her. "They'll suit you very well."

What he didn't tell Elphaba was the story behind that particular necklace and earrings. They had belonged to Fiyero's mother, Queen Kasmira. In fact, they had been passed down through the Queen's family for six generations, supposed to bring luck and joy to the bride who wore them on her wedding day.

After her death, King Ibrahim had been so grief-stricken he couldn't stand to have his wife's belongings around, and had ordered them to be given away. Dillamond, knowing that the king might regret that decision, or that Fiyero might want some of his mother's belongings one day, had taken her jewellery to the treasury.

Samira hadn't known the story behind them, but she had seen it, when perusing the treasury for new jewels. But the necklace and earrings were too simple for her liking, so she had dismissed them.

But Dillamond couldn't help but tempt fate by giving them to Elphaba now- or Fae, rather. She was by far his own choice for Queen, but the choice was not his to make. All he could hope was that Fiyero took the time to see past the green skin and see the beautiful, kind soul that Dillamond had come to know she had.

Of course, there was much curiosity over which girl would be presented to the king first, and in which order the others would follow. Dillamond, to prevent any arguments, called all twelve girls together and announced they would pick a number out of a box.

"I should stress," he warned them all. "That the order you pick means nothing. It is at the king's discretion that he calls you to him. Just because we are at the end of our month, does not necessarily mean the girl who is drawn to go first will see the king tomorrow night. Now, who would like to choose first?"

One by one, all twelve girls came up and drew a number from the box Dillamond held out for them. Of course, Pfannee insisted on going first.

"Eight," she read out, sounding simultaneously angry, disappointed and bitter. Then she tossed back her hair and raised her chin haughtily.

"That's fine. This will help His Majesty make an _informed_decision."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and exchanged a glance with Aysha.

Aysha drew the number three, and she seemed relieved by that.

"I wouldn't want to be first, but I wouldn't want to be last either," she whispered to Elphaba when she'd resumed her seat.

"And having to wait too long would make me sick with nerves."

Elphaba smiled. "Pfannee will be devastated when you're chosen as queen before she has her night," she laughed and Aysha couldn't help but laugh too.

Galinda would be fifth, and she was obviously smug that she was before Pfannee. Elphaba drew last, and it wasn't a surprise to her what number she drew, after having watched all the other girls.

"Ten," she read out and quickly took her seat again.

Dillamond smiled. "Excellent. You will be summoned by a servant when the King wishes to see you. Good luck to you all."

There was an excited tension in the air as all the girls headed to bed that night. In the morning, the competition would begin. And soon, one of them would be queen.


	11. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Early update for Yero and Fae, who was really bummed about going away with a cliffhanger there. And because I had a crappy day at work.**

**Chapter Ten**

All of Kiamo Ko seemed to be on edge and apprehensive from the moment it awoke the next morning. Rumours flew around about when the king would send for the first girl, who he already had his eye on, etc.

The first girl to actually meet the king would be Magalie. Each girl, once she received a summons from the king, would be assisted by a few servant girls to assist her with dressing and getting ready, and then she would be escorted to the king's chambers.

And the first two girls came back the next morning with similar stories- how handsome the king was; how romantic it had been; and how sure they were that _they _would be chosen queen "because we just had this special connection."

Aysha was third to be summoned, two nights after the second girl had been called.

"I'm so nervous," she admitted to Elphaba before she left who only hugged her.

"You'll be fine. Just be your usual sweet self, and then come back in the morning and tell me all over breakfast about your 'special connection' with the King."

Aysha laughed and some colour returned to her face as she did so, which had been Elphaba's intention.

The next morning, Elphaba was lingering over breakfast when Aysha shyly entered the room. Ordinarily, when each girl stepped into the room after their night with the king, the other girls immediately swarmed them, asking for details.

Now, it was much later and Elphaba was the only one there, sipping a goblet of juice. The girls no longer had a daily routine, but many still chose to spend their mornings getting more beauty treatments.

"Someone's coming in late," Elphaba teased her friend and Aysha blushed and laughed.

"I was hiding in our room for a while until I thought people had left. I can't have people staring at me," she shuddered and Elphaba snorted.

"That will go well when you're queen," she said and Aysha rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Fae. I don't think I will be queen."

Elphaba frowned. "Why not? Did the king treat you rudely?"

"Oh no," Aysha was quick to explain. "He's very gentlemanly, and charming, and _very _handsome. He made me feel comfortable and put me at ease. But…. I don't think we had that 'special connection' that Magalie and Jyrrin claimed to have felt."

Elphaba snorted again. "I don't think they did either. They're trying to psych out their competition," she explained.

Then she titled her head thoughtfully. "So, honestly…. 'charm' and 'gentleman like behaviour' aside… what is the king like? What kind of man is he?"

"Are you interested?" Aysha teased her and Elphaba laughed.

"No. But other than the rumours that swill around from before his marriage to Samira, and the brief glimpses we get when he comes to meet with the people, we know nothing about him. Not as a king, but as a man. I can tell you what I know of his policies and leadership, but whoever is chosen will not be marrying the king. They'll be marrying the man. 'King' is just his title."

Aysha was thoughtful for a moment as she made herself a cup of tea. "Honestly, we didn't talk much," she said, blushing fiercely.

"But he asked about my family, and my education. I think it was more him trying to judge _my _character, than giving me the opportunity to judge his."

"Well, then I suppose his decision will determine if he is a good judge of character," Elphaba grinned. "And _his_ character shall remain a mystery until your wedding night."

Aysha rolled her eyes as she blushed.

"Well, I think _your _character has been a bad influence on me," she laughed. "Because I am very much looking forward to seeing the other girls and giving them every impression that the king has all but chosen me as his bride."

Elphaba smiled wickedly. "Excellent. How can I help?"

It was a whole week later that Galinda, the fifth candidate, was summoned to the king's quarters, and Elphaba made a mental note to avoid the room when it came to Pfannee's turn. If Galinda's preparations were anything to go by, Pfannee would be ten times as worse, she suspected.

She sat on her bed and read, ignoring some of the other girls who sat on Galinda's bed watching and waiting as the blonde rummaged through her closet, searching for the 'perfect' dress.

"I've found the _perfect_ one!" she announced shrilly.

She practically bounced out of the closet wearing a short, frilly, pink dress that was in the Gilikinese style.

"Now, do me up, do me up, do me _u-p!__"_ she sang, turning so one of the servant girls could zip up the dress.

"And then I must accessorize myself for Fiyero!"

Elphaba restrained herself from rolling her eyes with great difficulty. But she refused to move. This was her room too, and Galinda would be gone in a moment- and then peace would resume.

So she drowned out the chatter that was Galinda accessorizing herself, and putting on her makeup and fussing with her hair.

And then Elphaba became aware the room was deadly silent. Expecting that Galinda had left, Elphaba glanced up and then did a double take.

Galinda was still sitting before the mirror, her hair and makeup done to perfection. But her face was pale, and she was staring at her reflection, her eyes wide. She wasn't saying anything, and she was taking short, shallow breaths.

Both the other girls and the servants were gone, and Elphaba wasn't even sure if the blonde was aware she was still in the room.

"Galinda?" she asked cautiously, putting her book aside slowly.

Whatever personal feelings she had for the other girl, Galinda did not look well. Rather like she was having a panic attack.

"What if he doesn't like me?" Galinda said softly, sounding breathless and panicked, and Elphaba got off her bed swiftly.

She was right, Galinda was definitely on the verge of a panic attack. Luckily, Elphaba knew what to do. Even now, she still sometimes awoke screaming from nightmares about her parents' and sister's deaths, and often had panic attacks when trying to determine dream from reality in the immediate aftermath.

"Galinda, I need you to take deep, calm breaths," Elphaba instructed calmly, as she reached her.

"I- I can't!" Galinda gasped, her breath hitching and Elphaba hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That's because your dress is insanely tight," she muttered, but loosened it so that Galinda could breathe more easily.

"Just take slow breaths. In and out," Elphaba repeated, getting down on her knees so she didn't have to bend.

Galinda did as ordered, and to Elphaba's surprise, she reached out a shaky hand to grasp Elphaba's emerald one.

They sat there, the room silent except for the sound of Galinda's slow, deeps breaths, until it gradually evened out.

"What happens if he doesn't choose me?" Galinda whispered.

"Then your parents will pay for your release and you'll get to go home," Elphaba replied. "It's not the end of the world."

"But then… everyone will know the king didn't want me as queen!" Galinda said, her eyes wide.

"How? _Who__'__s_ going to tell them?" Elphaba demanded. "No one knows why we're here! We were whisked away without any explanation. You don't know what excuse your parents gave to explain where you've gone this past month!"

Galinda hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. "I _was _supposed to be spending this summer with my grandmother in Gilikin," she said slowly.

"See? And anyway, I believe you're right in accepting the real possibility that you won't get chosen, but there is still the chance you might," Elphaba pointed out.

"Weren't you the one who said that you were perfect for one another?"

Galinda smiled faintly. "You remember that?"

"I remember everything. When you haven't been around many people in your life, you tend to be a lot more observant of what people say and do."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Galinda blurted out. "I've been horrendible to you for a month!"

Elphaba hesitated, then gave a small shrug. "You needed help. I was here. Just because we don't get along doesn't mean I shouldn't help you."

Galinda now looked slightly ashamed. "You never did anything to me."

Elphaba chuckled. "Well, I'm sure that's not true. I've been told I give my opinion far too decidedly for a young lady, and well… I can admit I have certain opinions about you which I believe I had no hesitation announcing when we met."

Galinda remembered and giggled. "I can admit the same," she confessed.

Silence fell, and Elphaba wondered what exactly was happening. Finally, she gestured towards the door.

"You probably don't want to keep the king waiting," she said and Galinda's eyes widened.

"Oh, sweet Oz!"

"You'll be fine. Just remember to breathe," Elphaba said, re-zipping Galinda's dress and was surprised when Galinda hugged her tightly.

"Thank you Fae."

"You're welcome," Elphaba replied after a moment.

Galinda took one last look at her reflection, stood up and tossed her curls over her shoulder.

"I'll tell you all about it in the morning," she promised and hurried out the door.

Completely nonplussed, Elphaba remained on the floor beside the vanity for a moment. Of everything that had happened in the last month, the thought she may have just become friends with Galinda Upland was the strangest thing yet.

The next morning, Elphaba awoke with a bad headache, bad enough to refuse going to breakfast in favour of staying in bed. Aysha promised to bring her back some food, before leaving her friend in peace.

It was only a few minutes later that the door opened and Galinda slipped in. Her face lit up when she saw Elphaba.

"Fae! You're here! Are you okay?" she asked, and Elphaba was thrown for a moment by her concern.

"Just a headache," she replied and Galinda tutted sympathetically, before perching herself on Elphaba's bed.

"So, how did it go?" Elphaba asked, purely because she was sure the blonde would burst if she didn't.

Galinda beamed. "Oh, Fae! Do you want to know a secret?"

The way she said it made it perfectly clear Elphaba didn't have a choice whether she wanted to or not, as Galinda leaned forward conspiratorially.

"Fiyero and I… are going to be married!" she exclaimed triumphantly, giggling and bouncing excitedly.

Elphaba was surprised and sat up. "He's asked you already?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, no- he doesn't know yet," Galinda assured her and Elphaba gave a small roll of her eyes.

That sounded more like Galinda… and much more likely.

But it _did _seem to be that the blonde had made more of an impression upon the king than any girl so far. A large bouquet of pink flowers arrived for Miss Upland during lunch, much to the envy of all the girls (except Elphaba). Those who had already had their night with the king seemed particularly put out, except for Aysha, who was happy for Galinda.

And the sudden new-found friendship between Elphaba and Galinda continued to develop. When Pfannee made a snide comment about Elphaba's skin, Elphaba wasn't sure who was more surprised that Galinda stood up for her and called the other girl a bitch- Pfannee or Galinda herself.

And Elphaba and Aysha found that despite the blonde's preoccupation with her appearance, she was a very sweet girl.

That had been two weeks ago. In that time, candidates six and seven had been called, but there had been no summon for Pfannee- the eighth girl, in four days. This was the largest gap yet, and although some of the girls were worried about what it meant, Elphaba wasn't perturbed.

"He's the king! Do they not remember that?" she complained to Galinda and Aysha.

"And if the rumours of war are true, he has other things on his mind than choosing a new queen."

"You just want to delay _your _night as long as possible," Galinda teased and Elphaba laughed, not denying it.


	12. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Yes, Fiyero is back. I know a lot of you missed him, but I had to focus on Elphaba (Sorry, Fae) for a while. **

**Special mention to Julia-Caesar, who was reviewer number both 69 and 70! Thanks, Jules! **

**Chapter Eleven**

Fiyero sighed tiredly as he left his study. It was after midnight on Saturday night- or early Sunday morning if you wanted to be technical, and he'd been buried in paperwork all afternoon.

Preparing for war was a lot more complicated, time-consuming and paperwork- involving that one might think. Fiyero had been so busy, he hadn't even had time to think about summoning the next candidate- number eight, wasn't it?

So far, Fiyero's choice was candidate Five, Miss Galinda Upland. A small smile crept onto Fiyero's face for a moment. She was a petite, blonde, perky, perfect thing, and had enough class that Fiyero was thinking she would fit into life at the court quite well.

Fiyero was heading upstairs to his room, ready to grab a few hours' sleep, when he stilled. There was a light on in the library. '_Who __in __Oz__'__s __name __would __be __in __the __library __this __late __at __night?__' _he wondered.

Curious, he made his way into the room, and came to a complete stop. There was a young woman sitting curled up in an armchair beside a lamp, reading a thick book. She had long, dark hair that was lit by the light of the lamp; and her skin… was _green?_

Fiyero wondered if he was so sleep deprived he was hallucinating. She wasn't a servant, was she? And she _definitely _wasn't a concubine. That only meant…. A candidate? Was this girl one of the ones Dillamond was proposing was a possible queen?

The girl, for that was all she seemed to be, was so engrossed in her reading she had no notion of the king's presence.

Fiyero debated for a brief moment whether to disturb her or slip away unnoticed, but his curiosity won and he straightened up and cleared his throat, loudly.

"Ahem."

The green girl gasped and jumped a mile, causing the thick book in her hands to fall heavily to the floor. When she saw Fiyero standing there, she froze for a moment, then quickly scrambled to her feet and stood there awkwardly.

Fiyero was as lost for words as she appeared to be, he wasn't exactly sure what to say and now wished he had simply left the room.

"You're up late," he said finally.

"I- I couldn't sleep," the girl replied, lowering her eyes.

Fiyero stepped forward and bent to pick up the book off the ground where it had fallen.

"What are you reading?"

He was surprised to see it was a book on the political history of the Vinkus and raised an eyebrow.

"I believe camomile tea is supposed to be good for insomnia if you're having trouble sleeping," he said and saw the girl's eyes flash dangerously and she held her chin up high, meeting his gaze directly.

"My inability to sleep is only caused by one roommate who talks in her sleep, and another who snores," she replied tightly, barely managing to keep her tone civil.

"And I am reading this book for no other reason than that the subject is one that interests me. If I _was_ in search of finding reading material to put me to sleep, as I trust that is what you're implying, I'd have to look no further than the fashion magazines most of the other girls apparently live their lives by."

Fiyero was both startled and impressed. But he could tell he had offended her.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, handing the book back to her. "I'm not used to young women taking an interest or reading about such matters."

The girl blushed, perhaps realising in hindsight what she had said, and to whom she had spoken.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" she began, but Fiyero cut her off.

"No, please," he insisted and she fell silent, lowering her eyes again. "What is your name?"

Her eyes, large and dark brown, flew up to meet his again and she hesitated for a moment before answering.

"E- Fae. My name is Fae," she replied and Fiyero extended his hand to her.

"Fae."

She blushed as Fiyero took her hand and kissed it gently.

Elphaba was completely overwhelmed. She was talking to the _king_, and it wasn't even her night! Was this breaking the rules? Aysha had been right, he was _very_handsome, but she noticed that he appeared tired.

"So, tell me, Miss Fae," he began. "What exactly is it about politics that intrigues you so?"

"Well, my-" Elphaba stopped herself. She had almost said "my father", and she knew it would be a bad thing to reveal that her father had been the governor of Munchkinland.

"I grew up around it," she said instead. "And I wondered why certain things were done or not done, or what motivated certain decisions. I was told the best thing to do was to know what I was talking about before I offered my opinion. And once you understand the present, doesn't it only make sense to learn how things were and how they got to where they are today?"

Fiyero was again surprised. "Do you often 'offer your opinion'?" he asked and she laughed.

"Far too often, according to some."

Fiyero smiled. Her laugh was beautiful and her face when she did so was hypnotizing.

"You are far more at ease than any of the other girls have been so far," he said without thinking and winced inwardly, but Elphaba only shrugged.

"I think some of the girls get distracted by your title and forget that you're still a person," she said. "I know you're the king, but aren't you still a man?"

"You're suggesting that in this conversation I am merely a man, and not the king?" Fiyero asked, amused and surprised by how perceptive she was.

Elphaba blushed again. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be disrespectful. You caught me unaware and-"

"No, I didn't mean to imply that," Fiyero said quickly. "Actually, it's quite refreshing. Most people are unwilling to treat me as a man, as you said, instead of the king."

"Maybe-" Elphaba said and then stopped herself again, cursing her inability to filter her thoughts.

"Maybe what?" Fiyero asked, raising an eyebrow, and she blushed.

"Nothing."

"Maybe _what_, Miss Fae?" he pressed and Elphaba answered reluctantly.

"Nothing. I was just going to say…. maybe it's to do with your ability to instantly sentence anyone to death."

She was surprised when Fiyero laughed.

"Maybe," he agreed and Elphaba relaxed.

"So… you're a candidate."

"Yes," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero hesitated, but couldn't _not_ask. "Your skin-"

"Is green, yes. So, obviously the rumours of your lack of observational skills are false," she replied and Fiyero grinned.

"I can assure you most of the rumours about me _are_ false."

"As are most of the ones about me," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And which rumours would they be?"

Elphaba gave a small shrug. "The usual. I did not eat grass as a child, nor do I glow in the dark, my pigmentation is not the result of a dare, prank or a sign of a curse. And it's not contagious."

"That's the usual?" Fiyero asked and she simply shrugged. "And the truth?"

"The truth is, I was born this way," Elphaba replied. "No one knows why or how it happened."

Fiyero had no response to that and after a moment of silence, Elphaba nervously gestured to the door.

"I think I'll be going to bed now."

Fiyero nodded immediately. "Of course."

As she headed for the library door, he suddenly found himself calling out to her and making her turn back to face him.

"Would you be willing to offer me your opinion on my own politics, Miss Fae?"

Elphaba hesitated. "I hardly think it would be proper for a commoner such as myself to discuss such matters as politics with the king," she said cautiously, which Fiyero took as a sign she didn't agree with his politics and supressed a grin.

"What about with a man?" he asked and he was rewarded with a small genuine smile that took his breath away.

"Perhaps," she agreed. "But I hardly know the man," she said and then curtseyed. "Good night, Your Majesty."

Fiyero stood there, staring after her, trying to determine what she had meant by those words.

And eventually, as he turned off the lamp and headed up to bed, only one thought struck him- he should have asked what number candidate she was. He had more questions than answers about the green skinned Miss Fae, and he was determined to find answers as soon as possible.


	13. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Yes, so Fiyero is back! I missed him too. The previous chapter is one of my favs, so I'm glad you all enjoyed it!**

**I also want to apologise for this site's new tendency to remove spaces between italicised words. If it annoys me, I know it must be annoying all of you. I must remind myself to go through and add extra spaces.**

**Chapter Twelve**

Dillamond was taken aback when Fiyero entered his office early that morning. Usually, when Fiyero wanted to see him, he sent a servant with a message.

"Fiyero, what is it?" he asked, thinking something had happened.

"What do you know about one of the candidates? Miss Fae?" he demanded and Dillamond was stunned.

He knew the green girl had not yet had her night with the king, and wasn't quite sure what was going on.

"Miss Fae?" he repeated. "I don't understand. How did you-"

"I found her in the library last night reading," Fiyero admitted. "Now, _please, _Dillamond. What do you know about her?"

Fiyero was desperate for information. He hadn't slept when he'd finally gotten to bed in the small hours of the morning, instead just found himself thinking about Fae. Her smile, her laugh… the way the green hue of her skin highlighted her features and how her hair had shone in the lamplight.

Dillamond hesitated and then answered the king's query.

"What exactly would you like to know about Miss Fae?"

"Who is she? Where is she from? What is she like?"

Dillamond hid a smile, he'd never seen the king like this before.

"She is an orphan," he told him, which was true. Despite the fact he knew she had been adopted by her cousin, it didn't change that fact.

"She is from right here in the Greater Kells. And as for what she is like…. Miss Fae is a very intelligent, logical, perceptive and witty young woman."

"What number candidate is she?"

Dillamond frowned slightly and shook his head. "Fiyero, I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" he demanded.

Dillamond sighed patiently, like an exasperated parent explaining something to a small, impatient child.

"Because. If I told you, and you disrupted the order that is established, the girls involved would be furious. Claims of cheating and dishonesty might arise."

Fiyero stared at the Goat. He took his words to mean that Fae was at least not Candidate number eight, and sighed heavily.

"Alright. Thank you, Dillamond," he replied and left.

Fiyero pondered this for a while. He could admit, she fascinated him. It wasn't just the green skin (although that too, was a factor). It was the fact she was completely unlike any girl he'd ever seen, and she was unafraid to be anything but herself.

As the days went by, Fiyero tried to put the emerald girl out of his mind, but it proved impossible. He fulfilled his duty and met with the eighth candidate, a Miss Pfannee, but Fiyero found her very stuck up, vain and a great deal too much like Samira to hold any interest him.

By now, of course, the court had found out what was going on and were all keen to have a say in which candidate Fiyero should choose. Memucan was pushing for Pfannee, citing her family's nobility and wealth as reasons why the girl should be queen, but Fiyero ignored them all.

Some were worried about how a commoner would fit into the court and the royal life. Dillamond had a solution to this problem.

"So, let's invite the girls to a royal banquet?" he suggested.

"The court members can get to know them, and see how they behave themselves."

The court agreed, but it was decided that Fiyero would not attend.

For some of the girls, the idea of being presented to the entire court was more daunting than the idea of meeting the king.

"They don't have any actual say in the king's decision," Elphaba assured Aysha and Galinda as they were getting ready for the banquet.

"This just gives the impression that they do."

"How do you know?" Galinda asked and Elphaba shrugged.

"It's politics. This is why the king _has _a court, to help him make decisions. But the king- and Dillamond, will not allow them to make his personal decisions. Such as who to marry."

She was sitting on the bed, watching as Galinda curled Aysha's hair. And although she was talking, her mind wasn't really there. She couldn't help herself from reflecting on the other night, and what had happened in the library.

And every time she did, she cringed. What had she been thinking? He must have thought she was an idiot.

The thing was, after actually meeting him, Elphaba had to admit the other candidates had been right. The King was charming, gentlemanly and handsome. But what Elphaba had liked most about him, was that he hadn't stared at her skin and had simply asked about it. And he had seemed genuinely interested in her opinion on things, for all his surprise that she had them and was willing to speak them!

For the first time, Elphaba understood why all the other candidates so badly wanted to be chosen, and she felt a small touch of remorse, knowing that he would never choose her.

But she shook those thoughts out of her head, and put on a confident smile for Aysha and Galinda, assuring them everything would be fine that day.

But even Elphaba felt daunted as the girls were escorted by Dillamond into the banquet hall, and saw the entire court before them. Of course, Elphaba, being the way she was, attracted most of the stares from the court officials and servants alike.

The candidates had been so well secluded from the rest of the castle, and so shrouded in mystery, everyone was stunned by the girl with green skin.

As they took their seats, Elphaba saw Boq from the corner of her eye, and they exchanged a small smile.

A man rose from his seat to address them. He was dressed finely and Elphaba could tell he was a high-ranking court official.

"I am Memucan, His Majesty's Royal Vizier," he introduced him. "Welcome to the Kiamo Ko court. I invite you to eat, drink and enjoy yourselves here today. The servants are standing by to attend to your wishes."

The candidates were seated amongst court members, who were making an effort to converse with the girls. Elphaba was seated between the Head of the Army, and Dillamond, but she could feel everyone else sneaking glances at her when they thought she couldn't notice.

They were having dessert when it happened. One of the servant girls, a tiny little wisp of a thing, that could be no older than twelve, had been ordered to fill some of the empty wine glasses, with a heavy jug that was obviously far too heavy for her.

As she filled Pfannee's goblet, her hands shook and some of the red liquid spilled onto the table and Pfannee's white dress.

Pfannee had been particularly smug since she'd had her night with the king, which had apparently all but cemented her belief that she would be chosen queen. And she obviously knew Memucan, who was sitting beside her and engaging her in conversation.

As the wine began to seep through her dress, she let out a screech which drew all attention to her.

'Look what you've done, you _idiot!__"_ she shrieked, and pushed the girl away.

The girl stumbled and dropped the jug of wine, which fell and broke, wine spilling over the floor.

"You clumsy fool!" Memucan yelled angrily, rising from his seat and striking the girl across the face, making her fall back into the puddle of wine.

Elphaba was horrified and furious, and got to her feet.

"Miss Fae!" Dillamond whispered hastily, but Elphaba ignored him.

As she crossed the room, Boq tried to grab her arm. He knew how angry Memucan could be.

"El- Fae, _don__'__t!_" he tried to pull her back, but Elphaba shook him off.

Fiyero, although supposed to be working, had been unable to resist the temptation to see what was happening in the banquet hall. There was a balcony overlooking the hall, and Fiyero had come in just in time to see the servant girl fall after being struck by Memucan.

Fiyero was furious, he always treated his servants with respect and expected his officials to do the same. He was just about to intervene when he saw Fae get to her feet. So, instead he watched, wondering what she would do.

Memucan kicked the girl, making her scream out in pain, and then dragged her up by her hair.

"Stop it!"

Memucan turned in shock to face Elphaba, and the whole room froze, deathly silent except for the frightened sobs of the servant girl.

"Let her go," Elphaba demanded and raising an eyebrow, Memucan did so. The girl fell to her knees, her arms wrapped around her sides and sobbing quietly.

Ignoring Memucan, Elphaba stepped into the puddle of wine and knelt down beside the girl, ignoring how the wine was now staining her dress.

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"Oinone," the girl replied shakily.

"Are you hurt, Oinone?" Elphaba asked kindly and the girl hesitated, glancing at Memucan.

"Oinone. Are you hurt?" Elphaba repeated firmly, making the girl look at her instead of Memucan and she nodded.

"My ribs," she said hesitantly and Elphaba nodded, then turned around.

"Aysha? Galinda?"

Aysha immediately got up and hurried over, Galinda was just a moment behind.

"These are my friends," Elphaba said to Oinone, and slowly helped her stand.

"Can you take her back to our room? Help her clean up and maybe get someone to look at her ribs?"

Galinda nodded. "I think she'll be about my size. I'll find her something to wear," she offered and Elphaba smiled.

"I'll be there in a minute," she assured Aysha, who looked worried.

When they had left, she turned back to Memucan, who had been speechless with anger.

"You dare to usurp my authority?" he demanded dangerously, but Elphaba wasn't frightened.

Her eyes darkened. "It's your _authority_ to abuse a servant? Not even a servant, she's a _child!__"_

"_You_ are in no position to give orders about how to treat servants," Memucan spat, grabbing Elphaba's arm.

She wrenched it out of his grasp and narrowed her eyes. "And apparently, _you_ are in the position of abusing your power over anyone you deem beneath you! The king appointed you as Vizier, is he not able to remove you too? And then where would you be?"

Memucan glowered. "Mark my words, I will ensure that you are never chosen as queen," he threatened and Elphaba narrowed her eyes.

"Funny. I was under the impression that was the king's decision."

Memucan laughed. "You think he will choose someone like you as queen?"

"No," Elphaba replied simply. "But I think it is still the king's decision to reject me without any influence from _you_."

She whirled around to stare at the silent court.

"And you all just sit there and watch?" she demanded furiously. "Like it's a show, or a sport? Or that because of her lower social status, Oinone isn't a person and thus doesn't deserve to be treated as such? Do any of you even know her name? You all make me _sick_," she spat in disgust.

And she turned and walked out of the room, leaving them all gaping after her in shock.

Fiyero watched in silence, his eyes lingering after her. Miss Fae was definitely someone to keep his eye on. But for now, he had to deal with Memucan.

**AN. I wanted a Lion Cub moment... without the Lion Cub. So between this and the library, I'm pretty happy with it.**


	14. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Elphaba's dress is based off the dress I wore to my uni graduation ball a few weeks ago. I love it. And a lot of you noted that I'm updating this fairly quickly. This is due partly to my impatience, and because you all seem to be enjoying this so much, and are all begging for updates!**

**It's also because of the holidays and such. Consider it my Christmas present to you!**

**Also, in case you didn't know (as I didn't until ZeGabz told me), the Fifth Annual Wicked Awards are on! You have until Jan 8th to nominate your favourite stories/authors. You can google it, or it's on the profile of 'the epic storytellers'. **

**I don't tell you this to hint for nominations, but just to celebrate some of the amazing authors/ stories we have in this fandom! **

**As someone who's posted in 3 other fandoms before Wicked, I can tell you this is definitely one of the (if not THE) best, most supportive FF community around. It makes me so proud and happy to write and be a part of it! **

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Hello, Boq," Aysha greeted the boy as she opened the door of their room to find him on the other side.

"Hello, Miss Aysha," Boq replied in a friendly tone.

He and Elphaba agreed that when they were alone, or in the presence of only Aysha and Galinda, that he could be referred to by his real name. This was mostly motivated by Boq's hatred of the name they had bestowed upon him, but also, Elphaba suspected and loved to tease him about, in the hope that if she heard his real name enough, Galinda might actually learn it.

"Hello, Miss Galinda," he called out to the blonde now, who was sitting on Elphaba's bed and braiding her friend's hair.

"Hello, Bick," she replied vaguely and Elphaba smirked.

"What is it, Boq?" she asked him and Boq smiled as he entered the room.

"You, Miss Fae, are being summoned to the king."

Elphaba froze and her eyes widened, and the bits of hair in Galinda's fingers slipped.

"What?" she asked, thinking she'd misheard.

"But- the ninth candidate was only summoned last night!" Aysha gasped.

The girls had all become accustomed to the fact that there was at least a night or two gap between girls, and this break in routine was a complete shock.

Boq shrugged apologetically. "I can't speak for the king's reasons," he said.

Elphaba still sat frozen on the bed in shock, but was startled when Galinda jumped up.

"Oh, Sweet Oz, I'm not ready!" she wailed, and Elphaba was confused.

"_You__'__re_ not ready?" she repeated in confusion.

"Did you really think we wouldn't help you get ready?" Galinda demanded, pulling a dress out of her closet.

"It'll be a rush job, of course, but I can do _something.__"_

As she spoke, she seized Elphaba by the arm, and practically dragged her to the vanity.

"You can't cover the green, Galinda," Elphaba said softly.

"That wasn't what she meant, Fae," Aysha replied gently.

"Of course not! I'm just going to fix your hair and make those gorgeous eyes of yours pop. OK? Aysha, you do the hair and I'll do the makeup, ok? Hurry, we don't have much time! And we don't need _you,__" _Galinda said dismissively to the servant girls waiting behind Boq in the corridor to help Elphaba dress, the old Galinda emerging for a moment.

"Galinda!" Aysha chided gently but the blonde ignored her.

"You can leave too, Bick. Just wait in the hall, we'll only be a few minutes."

"You do know his name is _Boq,_not Bick, right?" Elphaba asked as Boq was shooed out of the room before he could correct Galinda, but Galinda ignored Elphaba too.

Elphaba sat there as Aysha and Galinda fussed over her, trying to pretend her stomach wasn't a knot of nerves or that she didn't feel completely sick to her stomach.

She was going to see the king again, and he would know which candidate she was. Just because he hadn't been totally repulsed by her skin when they'd met the other night, didn't mean anything.

What would he be expecting of her? Would he even let her stay, or send her away immediately? That theory didn't seem illogical to Elphaba. Why should he waste his time with a candidate who obviously would not be chosen queen?

The king made her nervous, and Elphaba wasn't a very nervous person. She was only half-listening as Galinda pressed her to change into a long, flowing black dress with a one-shouldered sleeve that flowed down to her wrist. There was a shorter dress underneath that reached mid-thigh and the outer lining did not continue on to the floor under the sleeve, revealing Elphaba's long emerald leg.

Aysha had curled Elphaba's hair and pinned it back, leaving tendrils framing her face. Galinda kept the makeup simple, only using it to highlight her eyes and, as she had said "make them pop."

The finishing touch was the necklace Elphaba had selected from the royal treasury. And if Boq's expression when Aysha opened the door was anything to do by, Elphaba didn't think it was a complete disaster.

"Wow. You look like a girl," was his only comment and Elphaba glared at him.

"You may be missing a certain part, but I'll still kick you there," she warned him in an undertone and Boq grinned.

"Come on, Fae. Let's go."

Aysha hugged her warmly. "You look beautiful."

Galinda hugged her too. "Don't forget to tell him how perfect he is. King's love that! Just be yourself… but not _too_ much," she added as an afterthought and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"We want to hear _everything_ tomorrow," Aysha stressed and Elphaba nodded.

"I'll do my best, but don't expect anything too much," she warned them and then left with Boq.

Meanwhile, over in his quarters, Fiyero half-heartedly prepared for yet another night with another candidate. His new strategy was to get them over with as quickly as possible, like ripping a band aid off.

He didn't want to spend another night with a girl he didn't care about. He wanted to know about Fae. It was quite ridiculous, how much she had invaded his thoughts after so little a time. He'd taken to wandering aimlessly among the castle in his free time, and any time he saw a flash of green, his heart leapt into his throat.

He'd left the arrangements for tonight to Dillamond, he just didn't care anymore. When the Goat entered the room, he smiled tiredly.

"So, what's the plan for tonight Dillamond?"

Dillamond smiled. "I've arranged a private, candlelit dinner out on the balcony overlooking your mother's rose gardens."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Sounds rather fancy."

Every other girl had been treated to a small supper in his quarters' and then bed.

Dillamond smiled mysteriously, as though he knew something Fiyero didn't.

"Well, I thought you might want something special for tonight. The girl in question being a rather _special_ girl."

It took Fiyero a moment to work out what Dillamond was implying.

"Fae? _Fae_ is the candidate tonight?" he asked and the Goat nodded.

Fiyero felt an overwhelming wave of joy and relief wash over him.

"Where is she? Is she coming?" he demanded eagerly.

"I've asked the servant Kos, to escort her to the foyer to await you there," Dillamond replied and Fiyero immediately headed for the door.

The Chamberlain chuckled to himself. If his suspicions were correct, the final two candidates would be most upset to miss out on their night with the king.

Fiyero reached the top of the stairs just as Fae and the servant, Kos, Fiyero recognised him as, entered from the hall that led to the candidates wing. Fiyero could only stare at her. She looked beautiful, but nervous, and he felt his heart skip a beat as he recognised her necklace and earrings as that which had belonged to his mother. He watched as Kos whispered something to her and she smiled, laughing quietly as he left.

Fiyero took a deep breath and then headed down the stairs. Fae turned to face him and immediately curtseyed gracefully.

"Hello," he greeted her, feeling like he was seventeen again, and not twenty-seven.

"Hello," she replied shyly.

"You look beautiful," was all he could think of to say and she blushed, not saying anything.

So, Fiyero offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

He took Elphaba's arm and led her through the castle and out to the balcony where Dillamond had prepared dinner for them. Of course, you couldn't actually see the rose garden that had been Fiyero's mother's pride and joy, but the sky was clear tonight and filled with stars, and it was a beautiful sight.

"Wow," Elphaba breathed in a whisper.

Fiyero helped her sit, and once the obediently waiting servant girl had filled their goblets with wine and brought out their meals, he silently dismissed her. He wanted no interruptions tonight.

"So, Miss Fae. Tell me about yourself," he said casually and she raised an eyebrow.

"I would have thought being King, you'd know everything already," she replied teasingly and he grinned.

"I've tried," he admitted, surprising himself. "You seem to be very good at keeping yourself hidden from the world."

Elphaba smiled a little sadly. It was Shell who had been so good at keeping her secret and safe. She had just had complained about it.

"What do you know?"

"I know that you lost your parents," Fiyero said quietly. "And I know you were born green without any explanation why. I know that you did not eat grass as a child, nor do you glow in the dark, and it's not contagious."

Elphaba smiled, pleased and surprised he had remembered what she had said about her skin that night in the library.

Fiyero smiled too as he continued, his voice softer. "I know that you are highly intelligent, very beautiful, and that you are willing to stand up for those innocent who are being harmed. Like Oinone."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "You know about that?" she asked, ignoring that he had called her beautiful.

She blushed slightly as he nodded. "I know it wasn't my place to say anything," she began but Fiyero shook his head.

"No. I'm glad you did."

"She's just a child," Elphaba continued sadly. "How- how did she even…. She's _twelve. _How-"

Fiyero knew what she was trying to ask and nodded again. "Dillamond found her wandering the streets a year ago. She has no family, and she'd run away from the orphanage. So, she came to work for us."

Elphaba took a sip of wine. "What else do you want to know about me? I can hardly think of anything that would be of interest to you."

She was dead wrong about that. Everything about her was of interest to Fiyero, but he didn't say that.

"Would you tell me your political opinions?" he asked and she looked stunned.

"What?"

"The one thing I don't know about you is your political opinions. You have them, that I know, you know the subject… but I am most curious as to where you stand on such matters."

Elphaba hesitated. "Again, I don't think it's my place to-"

"Please, Fae? I am not the king here… just a man," he said quietly.

"If I did..." she replied slowly. "Would you answer some questions for me?"

Fiyero nodded immediately. "What do you want to know?"

Elphaba looked into his blue eyes nervously. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but if she had the opportunity…

"Are the rumours of war true?"

Fiyero was startled. He hadn't expected that to be her first question.

"Yes. We hope to be ready in two months."

"Is the aim of war to avenge your father's death?"

"Partly," Fiyero admitted. "My father was always kind to the Ugabians and they killed him. But it's not the only reason. Since they proclaimed their independence, the land has been…. Unsettled. The new government has become a dictatorship over the region, and innocent people are suffering. Ugabians who supported my father, and who were happy to remain a part of Oz, they are suffering. Hopefully, this war can restore peace to the land."

The very idea of creating a war with the end intention of restoring peace seemed ironic to Elphaba, but she was pleased to know there was more to this than Fiyero's desire for revenge.

Fiyero sat there and listened as Elphaba told him her honest opinion on various political matters. He asked questions, and debated arguments, but thought she raised some very good points that he made a note to mention at the next meeting with his advisors.

Then he steered the conversation back to her, asking about her education and her family.

"How old were you when your parents died?" he asked her quietly.

"Seven," she replied, lowering her eyes. "They and my sister…"

"How did it happen?" he asked, his heart aching for her.

"A fire," she replied hesitantly.

It was the official reason Shell had told her to give if anyone should ever ask.

"And what happened to you? Where did you go?"

This was a harder question for Elphaba to answer. She and Shell had decided to keep their relation a secret. Shell had insisted on it, "just in case."

"I was taken in by people," she responded vaguely, and Fiyero changed the subject, recognising she didn't want to talk about it.

"You look tired," Elphaba said thoughtfully after dinner, and then she blushed, mortified at what she'd said.

Fiyero didn't seem bothered by it though. "I have a lot on my mind at the moment," he admitted.

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Then why add to that by trying to find a new queen? Is it really _that_ important?"

Fiyero sighed. "Memucan seems to think so. He thinks the people will feel better about the war if they have a queen to remain behind and watch over the city."

Elphaba frowned. "And how do you feel about it? Remarrying again?"

Fiyero was again surprised. No one had asked him that before, and he had barely had time to think about it. To him, marriage was just his duty, something that had to be done as king.

"Samira and I had an arranged marriage," he told her honestly, which was nothing no one didn't know. "We had little in common. I like the idea of having a say in who to spend my life with."

"And how much say did you have in the candidates?" Elphaba asked, curious as to if he was the one who had selected the girls.

"I discussed with Dillamond what sort of qualities I was looking for and he selected the candidates," Fiyero told her. "He has many sources in different towns throughout the kingdom who provided suggestions."

He saw Elphaba discreetly wrinkle her nose and questioned it.

"You disapprove?"

"It- it makes it sound like you're looking to purchase a good rather than find a wife," she said bluntly, by now a little more comfortable at voicing her opinion and Fiyero smiled.

"Isn't marriage rather like an investment?" he asked her.

She laughed slightly. "I've hardly been exposed to enough examples of marriage to be able to comment one way or another. But feel free to enlighten me as to how this is."

Fiyero rose and offered her his hand. "Why don't I as we walk?"

"It seems to me," Elphaba said as she accepted his hand and rose to her feet. "That if you're comparing a marriage to an investment, an arranged marriage is perfectly acceptable. That's all it is, isn't it? A business agreement?"

"Yes, I suppose," Fiyero admitted. "But it's rare for an arranged marriage to produce the sort of returns I was thinking of when I made the analogy."

"Your parents had an arranged marriage, didn't they?"

"Yes, and they were the exception rather than the rule. My parents loved each other very deeply. My father was heartbroken when she died."

"You were young, weren't you?"

"Eight," Fiyero nodded. "I'm lucky to have some happy memories of my childhood with my mother. She was sick for a long time before she died, but I don't remember much of that."

"I don't have many memories of my parents or my sister," Elphaba admitted quietly. Apart from her horrifically vivid memories of their deaths, that is, but she wasn't going to say that. "Are they happy memories?"

Fiyero nodded with a small smile. "Yes. I remember one in particular… I was about five or six and my parents were having a banquet. My mother was getting ready, and I was complaining about not being able to attend. And she put her jewellery on, and I was fascinated. My nanny had just been telling me about pirates and I thought her jewellery was treasure," he chuckled and Elphaba smiled softly.

"I asked her about it, and she said it _was_ treasure. It was very old and had been in her family for a long time. She told me that it was magic, and had a spell on it so that whichever girl wore it on her wedding day would have good luck forever. She said that one day, it would be mine to give to someone that I chose."

"It sounds beautiful," Elphaba commented, trying to picture the story.

"I should imagine you think so," Fiyero said, a slight note of teasing in his voice. "Because you're wearing it."

Elphaba's hands flew to her neck, and she looked horrified.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she apologised, stammering nervously.

"Don't be," Fiyero said hastily, stopping and catching her hand in his. "It suits you," he added quietly, looking into her eyes.

Elphaba swallowed hard and let out a shaky breath, and her eyes closed instinctively as the king lowered his head to hers and kissed her. The kiss, Elphaba's first, was soft and gentle and she wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to do. But she was surprised by the rush of joy that flew through her, feeling Fiyero's arms encircle her waist.

When he pulled away, she was hesitant about what to do next. But Fiyero merely gently ran his thumb over her cheekbone.

"Would you like to go somewhere and talk?" he offered, guessing she was nervous.

Elphaba nodded gratefully. Talking…. She could do that.

"Ok," she agreed and took his hand in a daze.

She wasn't a hundred per cent sure whether that had really just happened, but she was willing to go along with it.

For Fiyero, the kiss had only cemented what he'd known all evening. He'd made his choice.

**AN. If you didn't read my AN at the beginning of this chapter- GO BACK AND DO IT! (please).**


	15. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. If anyone's disappointed about the last chapter and Elphaba's night with Fiyero (more revealed about that in THIS chapter), I should point out I did that mostly because this is what happens in the book (not the dinner, just this part).**

**And there's also now a picture of the dress Elphaba wears (my uni graduation ball one) on my blog. The link is on my profile, or you can just google my pen name and it comes up :)**

**This update is for FionnaTherese, who just had her wisdom teeth out and is in immense pain.**

**And I encourage you all to nominate your favourite authors/stories for the Wicked awards, whoever that may be. *cough* Julia-Caesar *cough***

**Chapter Fourteen**

It had been three days since Elphaba's night with the king, and Aysha and Galinda were worried about their friend. The green skinned girl was extremely quiet and still, and seemingly oblivious to the fact the other candidates were openly talking about her.

There had been no words or anything from the King, but the eleventh candidate had not been summoned.

All Elphaba had told them the morning after was that she and the king had talked; "whatever that means," Galinda complained.

But what they never would have guessed was that Elphaba was telling the complete truth. After he had kissed her, they had gone back to Fiyero's quarters and talked. Elphaba had asked him what else he was musing over that was causing him to lose sleep, and Fiyero had answered more honestly than he had anyone.

And Elphaba had listened, until they had both fallen asleep just before dawn. Elphaba had been startled when she woke up just before lunch to find herself still dressed and lying in a bed, one of Fiyero's arms draped loosely around her stomach and the king himself lying beside her.

It took her a few moments to remember that when he had caught her stifling a yawn, but unwilling to leave or end their conversation, he had suggested they move to the bed where it was more comfortable and Elphaba had not protested.

In truth, she was far more exhausted than she was expecting. She suspected it was because of the adrenaline pounding through her. She had been so nervous about this night and what to expect, and it was more relaxing than she would have imagined. So the excess adrenaline was making her both sleepy, and causing her hands to shake and her heart to pound dizzyingly in her chest.

Or that could have been Fiyero.

When she had returned to her room late that afternoon, of course it had caused a stir. No candidate had ever returned so late before from their night with the king, but Elphaba doubted what the other girls were thinking was anything close to reality.

Fiyero had woken not long after Elphaba and had only smiled softly to see her lying awake beside him.

"Good morning."

To her surprise, Elphaba giggled. She wasn't much of a giggler. "I think it's more afternoon."

Fiyero's smile spread to a grin. "Good. I hate mornings."

And then he'd kissed her and Elphaba's stomach had dropped with the feeling. He'd insisted she stay for breakfast, and they'd debated as they ate whether it was in fact breakfast or lunch they were eating, before deciding to compromise and agree on brunch.

"I'll see you around, Miss Fae," he'd said cryptically when a servant came to escort her back to her room.

Elphaba gave a half-smile, unsure how to reply to that. So, she'd merely curtseyed respectfully and left. Galinda and Aysha had pounced on her immediately, but she was unwilling to reveal too much.

She wasn't sure why… perhaps she was afraid of jinxing herself? The night had been incredible, she knew, but she knew it was different than any night the other candidates had had and Elphaba wasn't sure what that meant.

And so she had been quiet ever since, trying to sort out her thoughts in her head and not dwell on the matter.

But she knew.

She had fallen in love with the king, and after three days, Elphaba was taking his silence to mean that she was destined for life as a concubine. And she was surprised by how painful that revelation was.

'_You __idiot,__'_ she scolded herself for the umpteenth time in three days. '_Why __would __you __get __your __hopes __up __like __this? __Surely __you __couldn__'__t __have __been __foolish __enough __to __dream __that __he __might __love __you __back? __That __he __might __pick __you __as __queen? __That __your __night __actually __meant __something __to __him?__'_

She couldn't help mentally reliving the night, wondering what she had done wrong. He genuinely didn't seem perturbed by her skin. Had she been too outspoken in her views? Was it because she hadn't slept with him? Had she somehow offended him? Or was she just not good enough to be queen?

She knew Aysha and Galinda were worried about her, were watching her…. But Elphaba couldn't bring herself either to comfort or confide in her friends. She was too busy trying to pretend she didn't care that the king had sent no messages to her. To Elphaba, his silence spoke more than his words.

"Fae? You coming to dinner?" Galinda asked her the third night and Elphaba forced a smile.

"Sure."

"Summer's almost over," Aysha observed sadly as the three girls headed to dinner, and Elphaba nodded absent-mindedly, thinking of home.

If they were still in Munchkinland, they would be preparing for the harvest season. Shell always commented on it, wondering aloud how the crops had done. It was the one time of year he seemed to regret leaving their homeland, and Elphaba had always acknowledged it in the last few years, by buying a few apples, which the Vinkus imported from Munchkinland.

They were famous, coming from the talking trees in the forests. Elphaba remembered Shell taking her and Nessarose to pick some, helping his small cousins make friends with the admittedly sometimes grumpy trees, who were fiercely protective of their fruit.

Nessa, Elphaba recalled, had been frightened of them, but Elphaba had liked them- because they were green like her.

Of course, even if she wasn't here now, she wouldn't have been able to fulfil the tradition. Since the rumours about the Munchkin's support for the Ugabians had spread, there had been an embargo against any import or export from Munchkinland.

This meant a poorer quality of produce available, as the farmland in the Vinkus was not as rich or fertile as that in Munchkinland; but there was little other effects on the Vinkus economy.

"If it wasn't for the fact I love fall fashion, I'd wish for summer all year round!" Elphaba distantly heard Galinda reply in answer to Aysha and she smiled.

She knew both Aysha and Galinda's families could and would pay for them to go home if neither were chosen as queen, and it was another painful pang on Elphaba's heart that not only would she be kept away from Shell and Nanny, and be forced to live out her life as a concubine, but she would lose her two closest friends.

Of course there was Boq (or Kos, Elphaba corrected herself mentally), but it wasn't the same. And at that thought, she decided to make the most of her remaining time with her friends and stop feeling sorry for herself.

"Isn't pink a spring colour?" Aysha asked Galinda with a small frown as they sat down.

Galinda looked horrified. "_No!_ Pink is an all-year round colour! Fae, tell her!"

Elphaba held up her hands innocently. "What do I know about fashion?" she replied. "I clash with everything."

"No, you don't," Galinda scolded her immediately. "Pink goes good with green!"

"And black is this year's pink," Elphaba retorted, feeling more like her old self than she had in days and then she groaned.

"What is it?" Aysha asked in alarm.

"Two months ago, I would have had no clue what that meant!" Elphaba explained. "Galinda's been a bad influence on me."

Galinda shrugged modestly. "Knowing me just improves your entire life doesn't it?" she beamed, tossing her hair and Aysha and Elphaba exchanged a look.

The three girls chatted between themselves as they ate. Galinda was just lecturing Elphaba on what colours went with her skin and that she should be wearing, when all the girls' attention was captured by the door opening.

To everyone's complete shock, the King entered. He didn't seem uncomfortable or taken aback by the way the room fell dead silent at his entrance, but Elphaba supposed he must be used to it.

A sudden lump appeared in her throat as the king's blue eyes swept the room quickly, and his gaze locked onto hers. As all eleven other candidates stared at him openly, he crossed the room until he stood before Elphaba.

"Miss Fae, might I have a moment?" he asked, his voice echoing through the silent room, though he was actually speaking rather quietly.

Elphaba couldn't speak, she only nodded and rose to her feet. She felt dizzy, and regretted eating so much at dinner.

Fiyero's face gave nothing away, and a thousand different scenarios flittered through Elphaba's imagination as she was led out of the room and through the castle. She wasn't sure where they were going, and Fiyero didn't speak to her as they walked.

Eventually, they emerged into a rose garden, filled with colour. Elphaba said nothing, just waited apprehensively as Fiyero turned to her. She didn't notice that the king looked rather apprehensive himself.

Eventually, the silence was too much for Elphaba to bear.

"Your Highness?"

Fiyero hesitated, then spoke. "Do you… do you believe in love at first sight, Miss Fae?" he asked her and Elphaba was surprised by the question.

"I, uh…." Elphaba stammered, trying to decide how to answer. "I'm not sure," she admitted honestly.

She thought of Shell, who had lost the girl he loved twelve years ago, and had never even looked at another woman since.

"But I know it's power," she added softly and Fiyero chuckled quietly.

"It's power," he repeated.

Elphaba wasn't sure why that was funny, but she said nothing.

"That seems to be an accurate description. Fae… the other night, you told me that it seemed more as if I was looking to purchase a good than find a wife. And I told you that I was happy to have a choice in who I wanted to spend my life with. Do you remember?"

Elphaba nodded slowly. "I remember."

Fiyero's gaze was gentle as he stepped forward and took her hands in his. "But I realise that although I am the king, I'm not the only one who deserves a choice. You helped me to see that."

She was bewildered, but managed a weak smile. "I'm glad I could help."

Fiyero guided her to a stone bench in the garden, and she sat down weakly. Fiyero sat down beside her, still holding her hands firmly.

"I don't want you to feel as though I'm forcing your hand, or pressuring you," he said softly, meeting her gaze steadily.

"But I have to tell you, that I love you."

Elphaba was sure she'd misheard. "You what?" she asked, and her breath stilled.

"I love you. Since that night in the library, I've loved you. You speak of the power of love, but you don't know that you've been in my head all the time since that night. Of all the nights I dreamed of you…. Of all the excuses I tried to think of to discover who you were so I could avoid having to face the other candidates….. that every time I saw a flash of green I looked for your face."

Elphaba blushed, looking down at her emerald hands. "Oh, the green… you get used to it. And then you get sick of it," she laughed slightly and Fiyero smiled at her, a smile which made her heart flip.

"I'd like to test that theory," he murmured and leaned forward to kiss her.

One hand entwined in her hair as her hands came to rest on his shoulders as he deepened the kiss and Elphaba's head was spinning.

"Over the next fifty or sixty years, I think," he added between soft and gentle kisses, and Elphaba's breath stilled as she pulled away.

"Do you mean that?" she asked nervously.

Fiyero nodded. "Fae… I know this is fast, and there's still much we don't know about one another. But I've made my choice. And if there is even a _chance_ that you think you could one day love me… I'm asking you to marry me and be my queen."

"A chance…" Elphaba repeated in disbelief, and this time- she kissed him.

**AN. The first time I wrote Fiyero's proposal, it sounded very much like Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice (the 1st one where she smacks him down, not the second one). So, REWRITE! I love P&P and Mr Darcy, but that's not the vibe I wanted.**


	16. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. I wasn't going to update just yet, but it's 7.40am, and I'm about to go to work for a 9hr shift... in a supermarket... 2 days before Christmas. In other words, today is going to be a long, tiring, frustrating day, and I thought it would be nice to have some reviews to read in my lunch break to get me through the rest of my shift. **

**So enjoy!**

**Chapter Fifteen**

When Elphaba entered her room just over an hour later, Aysha turned to her immediately.

"Fae! What did the King want?" she demanded anxiously.

Elphaba chuckled, hardly daring to believe what had just happened.

"He, er…. He proposed."

Galinda whipped around. "He _what?__"_

"He proposed," Elphaba repeated, meeting Aysha's eyes and saw her friend begin to smile widely.

"And you said?" she pressed knowingly and Elphaba returned the smile, in spite of herself, rolling her eyes faintly.

"I said yes," she admitted and Aysha squealed, jumping off the bed and dashing across the room to hug her tightly.

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh as she reluctantly returned the hug.

"Oh, Fae! I'm so happy for you! You're going to be queen!" Aysha gushed. Then she smiled teasingly.

"I thought you had no interest in the King or being queen? I _do _believe there's details about your night with the king you didn't tell us, Miss Fae!"

Elphaba blushed and Aysha giggled.

"I have been such a bad influence on you," Elphaba laughed. "Where's that shy girl I met when we arrived here?"

Aysha ignored that. "So, tell us! We want to hear everything!"

Elphaba wasn't sure what 'everything' consisted of.

"What do you want to know?" she asked uncertainly.

"He doesn't care that you're green?"

Elphaba froze, her happily mood evaporating instantly as she turned to face Galinda. The blonde girl was sitting on her bed, and Elphaba was confused by her tone and the expression on her face.

She seemed more like she had been a few weeks ago, before they had become friends.

"No," she answered, taken aback.

Although she'd be lying if she didn't admit that the thought hadn't crossed her mind to, but when she'd shyly and hesitantly asked, Fiyero had only laughed and kissed her.

Galinda stood up and tossed her hair back. "So, all that talk about not caring about being queen or impressing the king? What was all that?"

"Being queen was never my goal," Elphaba replied. "And I never tried to impress him. All I did was get to know him."

Galinda raised an eyebrow. "So, he picked you because… what, he loves you?"

Elphaba froze at her sceptical tone, and her temper flared. "Now, just wait a clock-tick," she said fiercely.

"I know it might be difficult for that blissful, blonde brain of yours to comprehend that someone like _him _could actually _choose _someone like me. But it happened, it's real. And you can't change that!"

She knew what Galinda's problem was. She was jealous. The perfect, bubbly, blonde girl had been so hopeful that she would be chosen, that she and Fiyero really had really had something special. And Fiyero had confessed to Elphaba that before meeting her, Galinda would have been his choice.

"He doesn't love you," Elphaba said to Galinda now, her voice shaking slightly with anger. She was mad at her friend, and at herself, for thinking her friend might actually just be happy with for her.

"And he never did. He loves _me_."

Before Elphaba could blink, Galinda had reached out and slapped Elphaba around the face, and the room fell deadly silent.

Aysha's eyes were wide as she watched the scene before her. Elphaba could only hold her hand to her cheek in shock, and Galinda's hands were clamped over her mouth in horror.

"Oh, Fae!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Feel better?" Elphaba asked her coldly.

Galinda hesitated before answering. "Yes," she replied finally.

Elphaba slapped Galinda back before the blonde could blink, and Aysha gasped shrilly.

"Good. So do I," Elphaba replied and silence fell again, as Galinda nursed her reddened cheek.

"Fae, I…"

She grabbed Elphaba and hugged her.

"I'm _so_ sorry," she repeated in a trembling voice as she pulled away and Elphaba smiled shakily.

"I know. You didn't mean it," she assured her.

"Can you forgive me?" she asked in a small voice and Elphaba nodded.

"Of course."

Galinda forced a bright smile. "Good. Now, tell us everything," she begged and Elphaba took a deep breath, beckoning for Aysha to join them.

Shyly, and slightly wary of Galinda's reaction, Elphaba told them first about the accidental meeting in the library, her night with the king, and then the proposal in the rose garden that day.

"But that was three days ago!" Galinda protested. "What in Oz's name took him so long?"

Elphaba lowered her gaze. Fiyero had explained that too- not that she had asked.

"He announced to the court that he'd chosen me that night, and…. They protested," she admitted.

"Not that it surprises me… a green queen…"

"Don't even start, Fae," Aysha warned her. "You're beautiful, and obviously the King thinks so too. So, what happened?"

She shrugged. "That's where he's been," Elphaba explained simply. "Arguing with them. He said Memucan kept trying to suggest Pfannee as queen. Her family is wealthy and well- connected, and I'm… an orphan."

Galinda looked horrified. "For _three _days? He's been arguing with them for you?"

Elphaba nodded, blushing slightly. "Yes."

"That is _so _romantic!" she gushed and Elphaba's blush deepened.

"When's the wedding?"

Elphaba gave a small shrug. "I don't know, we haven't discussed it. I'm still trying to get my head around the idea of being engaged," she confessed.

Aysha giggled suddenly and Galinda and Elphaba turned to her in confusion.

"What is it?" Elphaba asked.

"Can I _please_ be there when Pfannee finds out?" she asked and Elphaba laughed.

"Again, _such _a bad influence!"

When the news was announced to the kingdom that King Fiyero Tiggular was engaged to a Miss Fae, an orphan girl who had _green __skin_, of all things; Elphaba couldn't help but wonder how Shell and Nanny had heard the news, and what their reactions had been.

She hadn't seen Shell since the candidates had started being called, and she missed him more than ever. This was something neither of them had ever dreamed about, the concept of Elphaba getting married and Elphaba was surprised by how much she longed for her cousin's approval.

The other candidates had been stunned by the news, and Pfannee's reaction had been…. Interesting to say the least. Somehow, the girl had assumed that the King had drawn Elphaba aside to remove her from Kiamo Ko immediately, and when she had entered their room to see the green girl sitting with Aysha and Galinda, she had looked surprised.

"What are you doing?" she asked them nonchalantly.

"Making wedding plans," Galinda replied and Pfannee raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you poor, deluded girl. You don't still believe the king will choose you as queen, do you?"

Galinda smirked. "No. I believe he _has _chosen Fae, and she has accepted."

Pfannee's face turned white and then faded to grey. "You?" she gaped at Elphaba.

"The King… he can't have…"

"The diamond ring on her hand seems to suggest otherwise," Aysha said, holding up Elphaba's left hand, which was adorned with a beautiful diamond ring.

Once the shock had worn off, Pfannee didn't hesitate in throwing a tantrum, protesting to the other girls and even to Dillamond. Her family, who was one of the wealthiest in the Vinkus, came and collected her the next morning.

No one had seen or heard from her since. A few of the other girls had been rude, but once they realised that the decision meant Elphaba would be their queen, they went silent.

Galinda and Aysha were planning to return home, but not until after the wedding. Galinda's family were arranging a marriage between their daughter and a wealthy Gilikinese merchant; and Aysha had been stunned to hear a boy she had grown up with had practically begged to marry her, according to her mother. It didn't surprise Elphaba.

The wedding was planned for only two weeks after Fiyero had proposed, at Fiyero's insistence. Elphaba had not been sure how to react to his clear impatience, and instead had laughed as she tried to hide a blush.

"That's probably a good idea. I think some of the rejected candidates wouldn't think twice about trying to get rid of me," she'd laughed, only half-jokingly.

Fiyero's face darkened, clearly not seeing the humour in that idea.

"If I have to get you round the clock bodyguards until you're standing next to me at the altar, I will," he vowed.

Elphaba leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Not necessary. But thank you," she smiled softly.

It seemed both hilarious and embarrassing to Elphaba in hindsight to think back at all the comments she'd made- and there'd been many, about Fiyero and the process of selecting a new queen. And whilst she, Aysha and Galinda laughed over them now, the idea of Fiyero finding out made her blush furiously.

There were many final preparations for the wedding. Most of it, Elphaba didn't have to deal with, which she was thankful for. The night before the wedding, she moved from the candidates quarters, where she had been still living with Galinda and Aysha, into the private suite of rooms which had previously been Samira's.

Elphaba was just grateful to know that Fiyero and Samira had never shared this bed that she was to sleep in. The Queen was always summoned to the King's quarters, he never came to hers. Although it made her uneasy to think about how many women, queen, candidates or concubines had shared his bed.

She, Galinda and Aysha had never mentioned the known fact that both Aysha and Galinda had slept with Fiyero before Elphaba even had. It was just not discussed. And Elphaba hadn't even thought of it when she'd had her night with Fiyero and they had slept in his bed together.

But the closer the wedding drew, the more she thought about it. And yes, it bothered her, more than she cared to admit. But she _knew _the rumours that had surrounded Fiyero even before his marriage to Samira (although he still insisted most of them were false); and she knew the fact that concubines lived in the castle, waiting to service the King upon request and she had known even before she came to Kiamo Ko. And of course, what had happened between Fiyero and the other nine candidates that had come before Elphaba was not a secret.

But it made her nervous to think of all of that… and then there was her. And Aysha and Galinda seemed to know this, and tried to reassure her.

Fiyero invited Galinda and Aysha to dine with him and Elphaba one night, a few days before the wedding. Elphaba had told him about her friends, and Fiyero, ever wanting to make her happy, had made sure both girls had an open invitation to Kiamo Ko. And when they'd left and returned to their room, Aysha had hugged Elphaba tightly.

"Don't worry about anything or anyone before now. He _loves_ you, Fae. Anyone can see that," she said softly and Elphaba had smiled.

Everyone in the entire kingdom was invited to attend the ceremony, as well as important people from their neighbouring lands, save for Ugabu, of course. And hundreds of people from all over the Vinkus began to turn up in the Greater Kells in the days leading up to it.

Of course, many were there out of curiosity to see their new queen- especially given the news of her unique skin colour, which many were sure _must _be a rumour spread by jealous and rejected women. But many came simply because it was an excuse for a celebration.

But all the Vinkus couldn't help but notice the joy on the King's face as he stood before the altar and watched his bride walk towards him. Nor could they miss the light in the eyes of the green girl that shone as she looked into the eyes of the king. A pure atmosphere of love and bliss radiated through the entire ceremony, and thousands watched with tears in their eyes and bated breath as Fiyero placed the crown on Elphaba's head at the end of the ceremony, and then turned to address the people.

"Vinkuns, I give you- your Queen!" he cried triumphantly, and as they screamed in celebration and Elphaba blushed in embarrassment, Fiyero gently kissed his bride.


	17. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Wishing you all a lovely Christmas, Lurlinemas, whatever holiday you choose to celebrate! **

**Chapter Sixteen**

Elphaba was not hesitant about beginning her duties as Queen, but she was still overwhelmed to find they began mere seconds after being crowned. All the citizens were invited to come and congratulate the bride and groom and meet their new queen, so Elphaba found herself standing in her admittedly gorgeous wedding dress, feeling the foreign weight of her crown atop her head and only catching glimpses of her new husband on the other side of the courtyard in Kiamo Ko where the ceremony had taken place.

Elphaba was sure she'd met more people in the last five minutes than she had in her entire life- not that she was complaining. But it was the greatest moment (after seeing Fiyero and realising she was actually married to him) when she looked to the next person in line, and saw Shell's familiar, beaming face looking back at her.

"Shell!" she choked out in a frantic whisper and had to remind herself not to hug him tightly.

Shell stepped forward and took her hands, squeezing them tightly. "My Queen," he said, bowing slightly with a small smile playing about his face.

Elphaba wasn't a highly emotional person, but she was very close to bursting into tears at that moment.

"Shell," she whispered once more and he smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, Fabala," he said softly.

"I haven't done anything," Elphaba said, frowning slightly in confusion.

Shell laughed. "You are _you_. That's why I'm proud of you. Of who you are, and who you've become. You're going to be a wonderful queen."

Elphaba sighed. "Can't I tell the king my real name now? Who you are? I feel awful lying to him."

"No," Shell replied firmly. "There's still much prejudice against our kind in town. I doubt it seeps much into the castle, so you wouldn't know of it. But it's there, and until I know it's safe… this must remain a secret. Does anyone know?"

"No one but Boq… sorry, _Kos_," Elphaba answered. "But what about the guards who collected me? Your friends?"

"They have promised to keep our kinship a secret," Shell assured her. "Don't worry. Just keep safe. If something was to happen… I fear not even being queen will protect you."

Elphaba thought of Samira and nodded.

"I promise," she said and Shell kissed the back of her hand and moved on, leaving Elphaba to greet the next guest.

It made Shell immensely proud of his cousin, to watch from afar as she eased into her role as Queen. All throughout the kingdom, the Vinkuns spoke of Queen Fae- how she made an effort to get to know the people; how she treated citizens, servants and the court members; and most of all, how obviously she and King Fiyero were deeply in love.

And all the whispers and business of war seemed forgotten for a while, as the people's attention was diverted by the debate of when an heir to the throne might finally be conceived. People were now whispering about rumours that the Queen's quarters stood empty, because she was always in the King's rooms; or that the concubines had been all but forgotten since the King had met his bride.

Shell didn't particularly want to think about those particular details and the truth behind them, but he was reasonably confident that Elphaba was happy and healthy and that was all he could really ask.

One night, he was heading home after finishing his shift at the gate when a noise from a nearby alleyway caught his attention.

Cautiously slowing his steps, Shell hovered nearby, out of sight but close enough to try and hear what was being said. He saw two figures in the shadows, and it was only when the first spoke, that Shell realised he knew them.

Tibbett and Crope worked at Kiamo Ko, in the kitchens and were nice enough guys. On hot days, they would bring cool drinks down to the guards at the gate. Shell was about to move on, but then Crope's words caught his ear and Shell froze.

"Who would have thought poison would be so expensive?"

"What did you expect from the black market, you idiot?" Tibbett answered. "The important thing is we got it. Now, are you sure you get this into the King's goblet?"

"Of course, do you doubt me?"

"I always doubt you. We get _one _chance at this, Crope. We can't stuff it up."

"We won't. _I _won't," Crope said calmly. "Are we doing it tomorrow?"

"Yes. At lunch. He never eats lunch with the Queen."

"Why does it matter if the Queen's there or not?" Crope demanded.

Tibbett's reply was stern. "Because. Our beef is with the king, not her. I don't think she needs to be traumatized by watching her husband's murder play out in front of her."

"And why tomorrow?"

"You've heard the rumours, Crope. The King intends to declare war on Ugabu officially within days. If we wait until then, the war will still go ahead. The point of this is to avoid the war, remember? We do it tomorrow."

"Deal," Crope agreed.

Shell backed away silently from the alleyway, and then turned as soon as he was a safe distance away, running as fast as he could back to the castle.

"Shell, back again so soon? Did you miss us?" Otho joked as he saw his friend approach and then frowned as Shell didn't even stop but headed towards the front doors.

"Shell? What's going on? Shell?"

Shell knocked on the door, and it was opened by a servant.

"I need to see the Queen immediately," Shell said and the servant hesitated.

"I can't allow you to see Her Highness, sir," the servant replied.

Shell glowered. "Trust me, it's a matter of great importance. I must see her- _now.__"_

"Sir, I can't-"

"Give her a message!" Shell interrupted furiously. "Please. Tell her Shell is asking to see her. That's all I ask."

The servant hesitated for a moment, torn between Shell's gaze and the fury of the king if this was an assassination attempt on the queen's life. Finally, after an agonising moment, he gave in.

"Very well. Wait here," he instructed, letting Shell into the castle foyer.

Shell paced the foyer nervously, restlessly. He knew Elphaba would come once she heard it was him, but he was worried that this would reveal their relationship and their secret.

What he hadn't thought about however, was Elphaba's reaction to the news. Fiyero was busy, so she had invited Aysha and Galinda over for dinner. When the message came from Shell, the blood drained from her face. Her first instinct was that if Shell had openly come to Kiamo Ko and was asking for her, something horrendible must have happened.

Murmuring apologies to Aysha and Galinda, she jumped up and hurried out of the room, reminding herself not to run.

"Shell?"

He turned and completely forgot to bow to her, instead he just seized her arms and said,

"I must speak with you. Privately."

Elphaba turned and looked at the servant who was standing behind her, watching silently. Then she looked back to her cousin and nodded.

"Ok."

She led Shell to an empty room and then turned to him. "Shell, what's happened? Is it Nanny-?"

"No, it's the king," Shell replied and Elphaba faltered.

"What? What do you mean?"

In a low voice, although there was no one else in the room, Shell told her about Tibbett and Crope and what he had overheard. Elphaba's face was an awful colour when he was finished and Shell was worried she might faint.

"Fabala?"

She ignored him and hastened to open the door, wrenching it open and calling out to the first servant she saw.

"Send for Memucan immediately," she ordered.

As the King's Vizier, he was in the best position to deal with this. The servant ran off to do Elphaba's bidding and she turned back to Shell, trembling slightly.

"Memucan will take care of it," she assured him.

Shell nodded. "Of course he will," he soothed her. "In the meantime, I should go."

"No!" Elphaba caught his arm. "Shell, you need to tell Memucan what you saw and heard. I'm still not his favourite person, Queen or not," she managed a weak smile. "And Yero will want to thank you personally when he finds out, I know it."

Shell raised an eyebrow. "Yero?" he questioned and Elphaba blushed.

Tempted to grin, Shell asked her seriously. "If they ask how we know one another…"

Elphaba shrugged. "You know the people who took me in as a child. That's all," she said simply and Shell nodded reluctantly.

When Memucan came, Elphaba told him everything, and Shell gave his account. Memucan recognised him from the gate, which may have helped in his favour.

When Shell had finished speaking, Memucan immediately ordered a servant to send guards to apprehend Tibbett and Crope. Then he dipped his head and bowed to Elphaba.

"I will take care of the matter, Your Highness. Do not worry. The King shall not be harmed."

"Where is the King?" Elphaba asked.

"He is in the throne room, Your Highness."

Elphaba was glad Fiyero was safe and in no immediate danger. She nodded wordlessly as Memucan left to inform the King of what was going on.

"I should go," Shell said again, and Elphaba couldn't convince him to stay.

"I don't need the King's gratitude," he told Elphaba with a small smile. "I need to know that he loves and is caring for his wife. That means more than anything to me."

Elphaba smiled, tears in her eyes. "He'll want to thank you. I know he will."

"Then you know where to find me," Shell replied.

Before anyone else saw, he kissed her cheek lightly and left the room.

It was only then Elphaba remembered Aysha and Galinda, still waiting for her in her rooms. But as she hurried back to her friends, she heard Fiyero's voice.

"Fae?"

She turned, and although she knew that Fiyero was in no danger, and the look on his face clearly said he was more worried about her than his own safety; she couldn't help but feel a crashing wave of relief as she ran to him and into his arms.

Fiyero's face was pale but his voice was calm as he held her tightly.

"What happened? Memucan said _you _were told about the plot. How? By who?"

Elphaba pulled away and smiled bravely as she took his hands. "One of the guards on the gate is an old friend by those who took me in as a child," she lied easily, but hating it all the while.

"When he overheard it, he came directly to me."

Fiyero, as Elphaba had predicted, felt a wave of gratitude for the man who had saved his life, and was especially curious that he knew Elphaba.

"Who is this man?"

"Shell. Shell Thropp."

Fiyero nodded slowly and pulled her into his arms again. "Tomorrow, I'll send for him to thank him personally."

"What about the men who-" Elphaba said, but couldn't finish, only shudder at the thought of what might have happened, if not for Shell.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Fiyero comforted her softly. "I've ordered Memucan to send my Captain of the Guard to deal with them."

He titled her head up to his, kissed her softly and smiled. "Why don't you go back to your friends and relax? I promise you, everything is going to be fine."

Elphaba nodded, but she wasn't entirely convinced. Little did she know, she had a very good reason to feel uneasy.


	18. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked_is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Merry Christmas! I didn't mean to make you wait, but I figured if _I _had plans, then _you _all would have plans, that probably didn't involve stalking your inbox for an update. (And the tiny cliffhanger we finished on certainly didn't hurt :P) **

**Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I've honestly had better (another reason for lack of update). My grandfather's still in hospital... at the stage they're "making him comfortable" and we wait for a phone call. Whether that's days or weeks... **

**Anyway, this AN wasn't to depress you all, but to wish you happiness. Hope you enjoy this chapter! It's kinda short, but still...**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Fiyero invited Elphaba to be with him in the throne room the next morning when he summoned Shell from the gate. She agreed immediately, hoping her presence would put Shell at ease, and eager to see her husband meet her cousin, the man who had raised her… even if Fiyero was unaware of that.

When Shell entered the room Elphaba could tell he was apprehensive, but she could also tell he was trying to hide it. She knew that face so well- she had seen it every time she left the house when they'd first arrived in the Vinkus.

"You may approach," Fiyero called from where he sat on the throne, and Elphaba couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly at her husband.

Fiyero noticed this and had to fight a smile.

Shell approached the throne and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty."

Fiyero then let his smile spread across his face and shook his head. "Please, there is no need for such formalities."

He rose and left the throne to offer his hand to Shell.

"Shell, I owe you an enormous gratitude for what you have done."

Elphaba smiled fondly at her cousin's obvious discomfort. "It was nothing, Sire. Just what is required of any loyal servant."

Fiyero shook his head. "Be that as it may, I am in debt to you. A record of your service to the king has been recorded and when I find the appropriate moment, I will reward you."

Shell smiled. "The best reward I could think of, Your Majesty, is to know that you are caring for my Queen."

Elphaba blushed and Fiyero shot her a loving look over his shoulder.

"Yes, I believe you have known my wife for a long time?"

"All her life, sir."

"Then I would look forward to hearing about the years I missed," Fiyero chuckled warmly, and Elphaba mentally groaned, thinking of the stories Shell could tell.

"There's certainly no need for that," she said sharply and Shell laughed.

"Worried, Fae?"

Fiyero laughed too, and clasped Shell warmly on the shoulder. "I promise you, Shell. One day, we will talk. But for now, I simply wanted to thank you."

Shell bowed again. "Thank you, Your Majesty. And now I think I should be getting back to my post."

"Of course. And Shell?"

Shell looked at the King, and waited expectantly.

"I give you my word," Fiyero said quietly and solemnly. "That I will care for your Queen with my life. She is truly all that is valued and good in my life."

Shell almost glowed at those words. "That's all I ask, Your Majesty. Thank you."

When he had gone, Fiyero drew Elphaba into his arms and kissed her.

"He is a good man. He obviously cares for you a great deal," he said and she smiled.

"He is a good man. One of the best I know."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "_One_ of the best?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, husband. I assure you, you're amongst them too," she teased and he laughed as he kissed her.

"Then I am satisfied."

There was a knock on the door, and Fiyero sighed deeply, reluctantly pulling away from Elphaba.

"Enter!"

An eunuch entered the room, and bowed his head. "Sire, Captain Avaric is here to see you to report."

Elphaba and Fiyero tensed simultaneously. They both knew what the report would be about.

"Show him in," Fiyero ordered brusquely.

Elphaba had not yet met Avaric, the Captain of the Guard. He had been away on a mission for their wedding almost two months ago, and when he had business with the king, she was never usually present.

She saw a tall man with long blonde hair enter the room. Elphaba thought he looked vaguely familiar, but assumed she just must have seen him around the palace without knowing who it was.

"Avaric, what is the status of Tibbett and Crope?" Fiyero demanded, leaving Elphaba's side to approach him.

Avaric bowed. "Sire, both men have been apprehended and are in the dungeons awaiting the gallows. They are to be executed at sunrise."

"Good. Avaric, I don't believe you've yet had the pleasure of meeting my wife."

"No, unfortunately, I have not, Sire," Avaric replied.

Elphaba smiled politely as Avaric turned towards her and bowed his head. As he straightened up, she saw his vivid green eyes and the long, thin scar running down his cheekbone.

Elphaba froze, the blood draining abruptly from her face and her breath stilled. In an instant, she was seven years old again, standing at her bedroom window and watching a figure ride away on a horse, leaving the Governor's house in flames.

Fiyero watched her pale and was alarmed as she began to sway on the spot.

"Fae?"

He leapt forward and caught her as her knees buckled.

"Fae? Are you alright?"

Elphaba was shaking, and she couldn't even look at Avaric, but she also knew she couldn't say anything about it to Fiyero.

"I, I'm not actually feeling very well," she stammered faintly. "I think I might go lie down."

"Of course," Fiyero said immediately.

He called out for a servant, and after a moment, Boq entered. Elphaba thought she'd never been so glad to see him in her entire life.

"Ah, Kos. Please escort the Queen back to her quarters, she's unwell."

A flicker of concern crossed Boq's face as he bowed. "Yes, sir."

Fiyero kissed Elphaba's temple gently. "I'll come check on you in a moment, Okay?" he murmured to her gently and Elphaba nodded weakly.

"Ok."

"Your Highness?" Boq offered Elphaba his arm, who took it, still trembling.

Elphaba said nothing all the way back to her quarters, and it was only Boq holding her arm that kept her upright.

"Elphie, what happened?" Boq asked her in a whisper when they'd reached her rooms and he'd helped her into a chair.

"Avaric… the Captain…" Elphaba whispered shakily. "It's him."

"It's who?" Boq frowned.

"It's _him._I remember him… his face…. His scar… from home. Twelve years ago," she said and Boq's mouth fell open in realisation.

"What? Are you sure?"

Elphaba choked on a laugh. "Boq, I've seen his face in my nightmares for twelve years. Trust me, it's him."

"Are you going to tell the King?" Boq asked and Elphaba shook her head.

"I can't. For one thing, I have no proof other than my memories. And secondly, Fiyero does not and cannot know I'm from Munchkinland, remember?"

"So, what do we do?"

Elphaba shook her head hopelessly. "I don't know," she admitted.

And they sat there in silence, bonded over their grief and horror.


	19. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Eighteen**

Eventually, she and Boq decided the best thing to do was to keep their knowledge to themselves, and try and find some proof that Avaric had been behind the attacks in Munchkinland, twelve years ago. They informed Shell, who was equally distraught and reluctantly agreed with their plan.

Elphaba casually mentioned Avaric to Fiyero, and only discovered that Fiyero thought he was a fine military man and had a large family.

But soon, Elphaba was distracted from Avaric by other news.

Three days after she had met Avaric, Fiyero and the Vinkus officially declared war on Ugabu. As Queen, Elphaba would remain behind, and it was her duty to be present to see Fiyero and the army off to battle. She was torn between relief and dismay that Avaric would be going to fight; relief that she wouldn't have to see him, and dismay that he would be one of the men she had to trust to keep her husband safe.

The morning that they left, Elphaba clung to Fiyero, very much aware of the fact that he might not come home.

"Please be safe," she whispered to him, burying her face in his neck as they stood in his quarters.

"I will," Fiyero promised her softly. "And I want you to promise me you'll take care of yourself while I'm gone."

Elphaba frowned. "I'll be fine. You're the one going to war," she reminded him and Fiyero chuckled.

"Yes. But I'll feel much better knowing you're safe and sound here."

"I have Dillamond, Memucan and a castle full of servants with me. I will be perfectly safe," she assured him.

"And you won't be lonely?" he asked worriedly.

She rolled her eyes at him lightly. "Again: Dillamond, Memucan, a castle full of servants. How could I possibly be lonely?"

Fiyero laughed, and kissed her deeply.

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. So much. But I promise if I get too starved for company to invite Aysha or Galinda to stay."

Aysha's husband would be fighting alongside Fiyero, and although Galinda's was not, he travelled a lot for work, and Galinda did not always choose to go with him.

"You know I won't be able to write from the front," he reminded her and Elphaba scowled.

"I know."

"And Memucan has promised to include you in all the meetings and councils," he continued.

"Good. I will _not_ be kept in the dark," Elphaba replied firmly.

The couple were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Memucan.

"They're waiting for you, Sire."

Fiyero nodded. "I'm on my way."

When Memucan left, he looked back to Elphaba. "Are you ready?"

Elphaba gave a small nod, suddenly unsure.

Fiyero cupped her jaw in his hands and kissed her long and hard, pulling her close to him.

"Let's go," he said softly and she nodded again, unable to say anything.

There was a constricting lump in her throat as they walked arm in arm through the castle, out to where the entire army was saddled and waiting for their King to lead them off, and where most of the city had turned out to see them off.

They cheered as Fiyero gave the queen one final, lingering kiss.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you. Be safe," she replied, struggling to find her voice.

Fiyero placed his helmet on his head, and mounted his horse. Elphaba waved elegantly as Fiyero led the army off, and the thousands of Vinkun soldiers rode off towards the road that would take them to Ugabu.

Elphaba was conscious of everyone watching her, and was determined not to fall apart, but all she could think of was when would she see her husband again.

For the next four months, Elphaba involved herself as closely as she could with the war effort. Any news of Fiyero came to her via Memucan, who eventually warmed up to Elphaba, united in their efforts to work together to keep the Vinkus running smoothly in the King's absence and support those fighting on the front lines in Ugabu.

To their alarm, the war was not going as well as the court had hoped or planned. The Ugabian forces were strong and heavily armed, and they knew the land much better than the Vinkuns did and were able to use that knowledge to their advantage.

One evening, Elphaba was sitting in the library. A book was lying on her lap, but she wasn't reading it. Instead, she was staring absent-mindedly into the flames, thinking of Fiyero and the night she'd first met him in this very room. Winter was beginning to set in, the days were cold and the nights even colder, and she was worried about what the fighting conditions were like.

Elphaba missed Fiyero more than anything, but she didn't feel right complaining. Aysha's husband had been seriously injured in the fighting a month ago, and been sent home. He was recovering slowly, but the doctors had been forced to amputate his arm. And she knew others had been similarly injured, or had been killed or some captured.

Dillamond and Memucan were a great support to Elphaba, as were Boq, Aysha and Galinda. And Elphaba had casually formed the routine of strolling the palace grounds each morning, and made a point of making small talk with all the guards on duty. This way, she was able to have a small talk with Shell each morning, without raising suspicions.

Elphaba was jerked from her thoughts as she heard hurried footsteps approaching the library, and moments later, Memucan entered, his face pale. Immediately, Elphaba rose, fearing the worst.

"The King is safe, Your Highness," Memucan assured her immediately, knowing what she must be thinking and Elphaba felt a wave of relief.

"But something _has _happened?" she demanded.

Memucan nodded. "Yes. Ugabian forces ambushed our army, and pushed them back over the border. They suffered a terrible defeat, and we can't resupply them. The- the survivors are on their way home as they speak."

Her head swimming, it took Elphaba a moment to realise what he was saying.

"The war is over? We lost?"

"Yes, my Queen," Memucan returned gravely.

It didn't matter that Elphaba had only known Fiyero for so little a time, or that they had been apart for the past four months, she knew that he would be absolutely devastated at the loss. Yes, they had been determined to restore peace and democracy to the tense and riot-filled province, but this had been Fiyero's chance to avenge his beloved father's death.

Failing to do so would (in his mind) be like failing his father, Elphaba knew and she closed her eyes and willed the army to arrive faster so Dillamond, who knew Fiyero better than anyone, could reassure him that this was not the case.

Ideally, Elphaba wanted to be there to comfort her husband, but she had not known her deceased father-in-law, whereas the Goat had known both father and son for many years.

News of the defeat spread like wildfire, and all of the Vinkus seemed to be in shock. They had been reassured the war effort was going well, and indeed it had been. The shock ambush had truly caught them unaware.

The army returned to the Greater Kells at nightfall, two days after Memucan first brought Elphaba the news. Although the streets were darkening, hundreds of citizens turned up on the streets to see their defeated troops return home and offer their support and whatever small comforts they could.

Elphaba stood almost in the same exact spot she had stood four months previous, but this time she was watching her husband come towards her, rather than riding away. There was no grand, romantic reunion, partly because there were plenty of people watching them, and partly because Fiyero looked so dejected and like he was about to fall asleep where he stood.

So, instead Elphaba stood and watched in silence as her husband was whisked past her, already surrounding by court officials demanding his attention. He caught her eye for a fraction of a second, but that was it.

"Your Highness?"

It was Dillamond addressing her quietly, and she offered a small smile as he escorted her inside and they trailed behind the large group surrounding Fiyero.

Elphaba was hoping to be able to see Fiyero for even a moment, and she and Dillamond followed behind as Fiyero and those around him walked directly into his office and shut the door behind them.

Elphaba came to a stop, and tried not to let her disappointment show on her face. Nevertheless, Dillamond shot her a sympathetic glance and she offered a smile.

"There's much that's happened in the past four months that he needs to see too," she reminded him.

"I'm afraid this is one of those moments where being king overrules being a husband,"

"Shall I escort you to your quarters, Your Highness?" Dillamond offered, but Elphaba shook her head.

"I'm fine, thank you. Good night, Dillamond."

All the way back to her rooms, Elphaba tried to reason with herself that there were many perfectly reasonable explanations as to why Fiyero had not asked to see her. He'd had a long journey, and as she'd told Dillamond, sometimes being king came before being a husband.

And if it took her hours to fall asleep that night, no one would ever know.


	20. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. In answer to a question from RavenPuff girl, I don't remember if Ugabu is specifically mention in the Wicked books, but it is in the map of Oz at the front of it. And as you'll see in this chapter, Fiyero had other reasons besides being king for not seeing Elphaba.**

**And Mindy- I did consider that, but ultimately decided against it. **

**And anyone who has me on Author's Alert would have seen I posted a Fiyeraba New Year's one-shot, "Auld Lang Syne"... I honestly have no idea where that came from. But I saw the movie _New Years Eve _and just had to write it. And I'm quite proud of it. There's a Galinda line in it, I think it could be my favourite Galinda line I've ever written.**

**And fun fact! In the book of _One Night with the King, _Fiyero (Xerxes) was gone for FOUR YEARS! But I couldn't do that do you. **

**Chapter Ninteen**

The third night after Fiyero's return, he finally summoned Elphaba to him. She didn't bother with dressing up, she wanted nothing more than to see her husband again. But she didn't expect to find him sitting before the fire in his room, his brow furrowed.

"Yero?" she broke the silence tentatively when he didn't seem to notice her presence.

He turned to look at her slowly, and Elphaba was stunned by the cold and distant look in his blue eyes. It wasn't exactly the happy, romantic reunion she'd imagined.

"Fae."

Encouraged, she took a small step towards him. "I missed you," she confessed and Fiyero rose an eyebrow.

"Did you?"

Elphaba frowned, confused by the question. "Of course I did. Do you doubt me?"

Fiyero didn't answer, turning to look back at the fire. "It took me longer than I thought to be caught up on everything I've missed in the past four months."

Elphaba smiled faintly. "The court missed your advice. They were almost afraid to breathe while you were gone, in case you would disapprove."

"And what of you? How did you fare in my absence?"

Again, Elphaba thought the line of questioning was rather odd, but answered him nonetheless.

"I kept myself busy. I learned a great deal about warfare. Rather more than I'd prefer to know, actually. Why do you ask?"

Fiyero rose from his seat and walked over to pour himself a glass of wine.

"Amongst the matters of business I've been told about in the past three days, I've been made aware of certain…. Whispers. Rumours."

Elphaba froze. Had he discovered her secret? Was she about to be revealed as a fraud?

"What- what whispers?" she asked faintly.

"Is it true," he asked her slowly. "That you go for a walk down to the gate each morning to talk with the guards?"

"Yes," Elphaba replied, still not understanding.

Fiyero stilled, and his head bowed. "I didn't want to believe it," he muttered and Elphaba frowned in irritation, her patience wearing thin.

"Believe _what?__"_ she demanded.

He turned to her, and Elphaba was stunned by the anger she saw there.

"I've been informed that you…. You have been sleeping with one of the guards since I left."

Elphaba gasped. "_What?__" _she exclaimed in disbelief and Fiyero raised an eyebrow.

"You deny it?"

"Yes, I deny it!" she cried. "How can you…. You doubt me? You believe the rumours?"

"You admitted you visit the gate daily," Fiyero reminded her icily.

"I go for a walk, which takes me pass the gate and I exchange pleasantries with the guards," Elphaba replied through gritted teeth. "Just as I do with the servants I pass in the halls, citizens I meet in the city, and court officials I see around the castle. Am I also accused of sleeping with them?"

Her husband stared at her suspiciously. "So, you proclaim your innocence?"

"Fiyero, I'm green," Elphaba replied flatly. "You are the only person to ever show any sign of interest in my body. Why should that suddenly change? Who else would have me in their bed?"

"Flesh is flesh to a man, no matter the colour," Fiyero snapped back at her. "If the lights are out, you wouldn't tell any difference."

Elphaba felt like she'd been slapped. "Is that how you feel?" she asked, feeling sick. "That if the lights are out when I'm summoned to your bed, you can pretend my skin is a normal colour?"

"Don't make me the villain here," Fiyero warned her. "I am not the one accused of adultery, defiling our marriage bed with another man."

"_Defiled?__"_ Elphaba practically spat. "That's rich, coming from the man with a wing full of concubines on the castle grounds!"

Fiyero's face darkened. "You know perfectly well I haven't been with any of the concubines since we met!"

"That doesn't mean they cease to exist!" she retorted. "How do you think that makes me feel, knowing a dozen beautiful women spend their days lying around hoping you will summon them into your bed?"

"Having the concubines is a part of royal tradition," Fiyero began in irritation, but Elphaba cut him off.

"Which no one says you must continue!"

Silence fell between them, tension thick in the air, before Elphaba sighed shakily.

"How can you believe such stories? Do you trust me so little as to think I would _cheat _on you, while you're away at war? Do you think that little of me?"

Fiyero said nothing, so she continued.

"I know you're upset about what happened at the front, and I know what it means for you to have lost, but please…. Don't doubt my love for you, or my faith in our marriage vows."

Fiyero threw his wine glass at the wall, and it shattered into a million pieces.

"You understand _nothing _of what this failure means to me," he snarled at her. "And how can you stand there and speak of love and the faith you hold in our marriage, when since the night we met, you've admitted you know nothing of either love or marriage?"

Elphaba was too numb and hurt to speak, and finally Fiyero only spoke one word.

"Leave."

Unprotesting, she did so, not even realising tears were streaming down her cheeks.

She felt completely sick to her stomach. Not only for what he had said, but for the very idea he actually believed the rumours apparently circulating about her. And she regretted her own part in their argument- she had let her temper get the better of her.

The worst part was, there was nothing Elphaba could do. She was forbidden to approach the king unsummoned, so she was resigned to waiting until Fiyero sent for her.

She didn't think it would be long. She knew already that Fiyero had a temper that could easily match hers, but he calmed down much more quickly than she did.

Elphaba lay in her bed miserably. Her mind wouldn't stop replaying his words over and over again, and it made it impossible to get to sleep. Finally, just before dawn, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep and dozed until the door opened and one of her handmaidens entered.

She looked surprised to see Elphaba there.

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness," she said, curtseying hastily. "We thought you were with the King. I was coming to clean the room."

Elphaba didn't both addressing her first sentence. "Never mind," she said faintly. "Could you just leave, please? I don't wish to get up just yet."

"Would you like breakfast, Your Highness?"

Food was the last thing Elphaba wanted. "No, thank you. I just don't wish to be disturbed, understood? I'm not feeling well."

"Of course, Your Highness."

It didn't take long before Dillamond arrived to check on Elphaba.

"Fae? I heard you weren't feeling well. Are you alright? Should I call a doctor?"

Elphaba managed a small smile. She had insisted the Goat not refer to her by her title when they were not before the court. It felt so strange to her when he had first known her as simply 'Fae.'

"There's no need for a doctor, thank you. I just…. I didn't sleep well last night."

Dillamond hesitated. "Would this have anything to do with the King summoning you to him last night?"

Elphaba looked at him. "You know?" she asked quietly and as he nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

"It will be alright," he assured her. "I do believe deep down he knows you are telling the truth. Give him time."

"I hope you're right," she whispered and Dillamond left her alone.


	21. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Before anyone says it, I know I could have drawn this out, and it _was _my original intention, but I felt so bad for Elphaba (which I know is ridiculous because I wrote it and she's fictional, but...) **

**This update is for PocketSevens, who made my day with your PM :) well, the opening line of it, haha. **

**Only another 7 chapters to go! :(**

**Chapter Twenty**

No word came from the King to Elphaba's rooms, and as the days passed, she sunk more and more into a depression. She spent all her time in bed, and barely touched the meals that Dillamond ensured were sent to her.

After four days, Dillamond was so concerned he sent Boq to escort Aysha and Galinda to Kiamo Ko, hoping having her best friends around her would help Elphaba.

"She's really not well," he told them in an undertone as he led them to her rooms.

Galinda was furious. "Does the King know what's happening?" she demanded and Dillamond sighed.

"I have tried to tell him, but he refuses to listen. He's already planning another attempt at war, he spends all his days locked away in his office with his war council."

Aysha was concerned. "We can't afford another war, can we?"

"No," the Goat admitted. "If he were to listen to Fae, I'm sure she could make him see this. But he won't see her."

"Who would say such awful things about her?" Galinda asked. "Fae would _never _cheat on him!"

"And how could he believe them?" Aysha added.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure who brought the rumours to his attention. As to your question, Miss Aysha…. The King is in a very low place at the moment."

"So, he brings Fae down with him," scowled Galinda, muttering under her breath.

When the two girls entered Elphaba's rooms, they were startled by the difference in their friend's appearance. Elphaba was curled up on her side in the foetal position, her eyes open and staring dazedly into space, her gaze vacant.

Her skin was an odd colour and she had dark circles under her eyes.

"Fae?" Aysha called gently, to alert her to their presence.

It took Elphaba a moment to register who was there and even then, she only blinked at them, unable to speak. Galinda didn't hesitate before crossing to her bedside to give her a tight hug.

"Fae, are you okay?"

Elphaba shook her head faintly, looking up at Galinda. "I… Yero… he thinks-"

"We know," Aysha cut her off gently, as she struggled to say the words.

Dillamond felt relieved as he shut the door quietly, leaving the three girls alone. They were the first words Elphaba had spoken in days.

"I didn't," Elphaba whispered.

"Of course you didn't!" Galinda assured her. "Don't worry, Fae. He'll come to his senses."

A lone tear trickled from Elphaba's eye and onto her pillow. "Why did I think I could do this?"

"Do what, sweetie?" Aysha asked.

"Be queen… be a wife… why did anyone think I could do this?"

Aysha joined the others on the bed and hugged Elphaba comfortingly.

"Because you can. Because you're beautiful, and brilliant, and the King loves you."

Elphaba's only response was to sob brokenly.

From that day on, Aysha and Galinda made it their mission to make Elphaba better. Some days they were there together, some days it was just Aysha and some days it was Galinda. They'd sit by her bed and make her talk, and prod her to eat something, and try and convince her to sleep.

They weren't having much success, Elphaba still had not been out of bed and was not sleeping; but she was at least eating something.

It had been two weeks and Fiyero was walking the palace grounds restlessly. He wasn't doing much better than Elphaba, but he was at least up and about. He'd been feeling restless and disconcerted ever since he came home, and what had happened with Fae did not help matters any.

The king did not have the luxury of taking to his bed in his misery. He missed his wife maybe even more than he had whilst away at the front, but he wouldn't summon her to him.

Every time he thought of her with someone else, it made him feel sick to his stomach, and the feeling of betrayal hit him all over again. He wasn't sure what to make of what he had been told, he just kept wondering how well he really knew his wife.

Did he _want _to think Fae was capable of cheating on him? Of course not! But his source had been adamant about what he had seen, and she herself had admitted to walking to the gate each day. Why would she suddenly develop the routine if she was not meeting a person in particular?

His source had not named any specific guard, but Fiyero didn't need a name.

And then there was the fact Fiyero felt slightly ashamed about what he'd said to her that night. Yes, he was hurt and angry and upset over losing the war, but perhaps he could have found another way to broach the subject. He hadn't even had a moment to enjoy being home again before all this unpleasantness happened.

Lost in his thoughts, Fiyero paused in his steps as he suddenly realised he had made a full circle around the castle grounds and was within distance of the front gate. Suspiciously, Fiyero studied the men stationed along the gate as he passed, wondering which was the one that the queen made her special purpose to visit daily for the past four months.

There was four men on duty at a time, and he knew that it was usually around this time, in the mornings after breakfast that the Queen had visited.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," one of them called out, happening to look around and seeing the King standing there.

"Good morning," Fiyero replied curtly in acknowledgment, coming closer.

"All is well, I trust?"

The man gave a half-nod, half- shrug. "It's not too bad, Sire. We've got a man off sick today with the flu. Is the Queen any better?"

Fiyero was startled. "Excuse me?"

The guard faltered. "We assumed that the Queen had caught the flu that is going around. She hasn't been for her morning walks for a while."

Fiyero's gaze narrowed. Was _this _the man he had been told about?

"What is your name?"

"Otho, Your Majesty," the guard replied immediately.

"Otho. And you've noticed Her Majesty's absence of late?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Otho nodded slowly. Given that he had been one of the guards to bring Elphaba to Kiamo Ko, and his friendship with Shell, he was one of the few to know the truth. He knew how happy Shell had been for the chance to see his cousin each morning, if only for a moment whilst the King was at war.

At first, Shell had thought nothing of her absence, after all, her husband had just returned home from war. But after a few days he had become worried. Otho suspected it was one reason Shell was now struck down with the flu.

"Well, yes, sir," he answered the King's question.

"Her Majesty always made an effort to ask how we were. It was so nice of her to show an interest. Your wife is a lovely young woman, sir."

Fiyero smiled tightly. "Just how did she '_show __an __interest__'_?"

One of the other guards spoke up. "Last month, my little girl got really sick. We thought we were going to lose her, so I took the time off work," he said quietly.

"Her Majesty found out when she noticed I wasn't at my post, and next thing I knew she had a servant sent over with food for us all and with the castle doctor to treat my daughter. I can't tell you how grateful my wife and I were, Sire."

Fiyero was stunned. "Your daughter is well now, I hope?"

The guard beamed. "Yes, sir. Thank you. The Queen sent her a doll when we sent word she was well. My daughter's named it 'Fae' after her, and she even painted it green."

This time, Fiyero's smile was much softer and more natural.

"I'm sure the queen is humbled by your daughter's sentiment. Good day to you, men."

Otho tipped his hat. "Good day to you too, Sire. Please convey our best wishes to the queen. We wish her a speedy recovery."

"Thank you," Fiyero replied quietly and left, heading back inside.

He felt awful. How could he have ever thought that his wife would do something like that? He knew what type of person she was, he'd seen her chat with servants, and he would never forget seeing her stop Memucan from striking Oinone during the candidate banquet.

When he entered the castle, he saw Dillamond bustling about his duties.

"Dillamond! Have you seen the Queen?"

Dillamond paused warily for a moment before answering. "Miss Aysha and Miss Galinda have managed to persuade her to take a walk in the rose gardens," he replied.

"We thought the fresh air might do her some good."

Puzzled, Fiyero hurried out to the gardens, looking for a flash of green. What he saw made him feel worse than ever.

Fae was there, walking slowly in between Aysha and Galinda, her friends holding her upright because she was clearly too weak to do so. Her skin was pale and she looked dreadfully ill. And Fiyero wasn't stupid enough to think she actually did have the flu.

He swallowed hard and walked towards them.

"Ladies."

Elphaba froze apprehensively, completely stunned to see him standing before her- the first time she'd seen him since that night. Aysha and Galinda curtseyed respectfully, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry to separate you, but I would like a moment alone with my wife, if you please."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Aysha replied immediately, but Galinda hesitated briefly. It was only when she caught Elphaba's eye and she nodded minutely that the blonde too, agreed.

If this had happened days ago, Elphaba would have turned to Fiyero with her head held high and made a sarcastic comment about him being there to accuse her of something else, founded only on rumours.

But she couldn't even speak as she stared at her husband, although the sarcastic words were definitely being said in her head.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, and she could only blink at him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Fiyero repeated. "I'm sorry for everything, Fae."

He wanted to explain everything, to apologise for every horrid word he'd said and to somehow make it up to her. But the speech he was spontaneously forming in his head flew completely out the window as he watched his wife crumple in tears.

"Fae?"

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. And as his arms went around her waist, and she clung to his neck as she sobbed, it was only then that Fiyero felt calm… at peace. It was only with his wife in his arms, he realised, that he felt he was home again, and he buried his face in her neck at that realisation, murmuring soft apologies to her all the while.

He was home with her, he knew, and he would make things right with his wife. Whatever it took.


	22. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. I also want to take a sec to thank everybody. A few chapters ago, I mentioned the 5th Annual Wicked Awards. Well, yesterday it was brought to my attention by my lovely friend Julia-Caesar, that I've been nominated... a few times.**

**I am completely blown away by this. I know it always sounds insincere and like a horrendible cliche when people say it's an honour to just be nominated, but it really is. I never expected that, and I'm so amazed.**

**There's a lot of amazing authors/stories out there and to be counted among them is so exciting. So, thank you to everyone! **

**Chapter Twenty- One**

Avaric should have been feeling satisfied with himself. He was the Captain of the Guard, and although they had lost the war, Avaric had still distinguished himself as a great warrior and leader to Fiyero as they fought together in the front lines.

But still, he was not happy. He wanted more power, more responsibility, more respect from the lowly Vinkuns. Spreading the rumours to make the Munchkins seem sympathetic to the Ugabians had been more successful than he had ever dreamed and more than satisfactory.

But they still remained. More fearful, more secretive, more wary, yes; but they still remained. Avaric wanted them gone. He wanted them completely wiped out from the face of Oz, or at least the Vinkus to start with.

But to do such a thing, Avaric needed much more power than that of a mere Captain of the Guard. He needed the power of a king.

But even though King Fiyero had allowed such filth as Munchkins to dwell in his kingdom, and especially after fighting alongside the man for four months, Avaric quite liked and respected the King. And even if an unfortunate accident were to befall the King, that would mean nothing for Avaric's plans.

So, his second best idea, was to gain the post of someone who _almost _had as much power than the king. The King's Vizier. Which meant the current Vizier, Memucan, had to be removed.

And, naturally, Avaric felt just _awful _about that.

The plan was simple, sweet, and like all good plans, carried out under the cover of darkness.

It was just after midnight when Avaric slipped through the window of Memucan's bedroom in his small house not far from Kiamo Ko. He was completely unnoticed, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he stilled and studied the sleeping figure under the covers.

Memucan was sleeping, his quiet snores filling the room. Avaric crept closer to the bed, his fingers twitching on the hilt of his sword.

Well-practised at the act, the sword made no noise as he drew it from its sheath. His eyes gleamed maliciously in the darkness. Memucan didn't even stir as the blade slit his throat from ear to ear and his dark blood spilled over the pillows and bed, and the life drained from him.

And Avaric slipped out the window as silently as he'd entered.

The body wasn't discovered until hours later, when the Vizier failed to show up to an arranged meeting with Fiyero.

Concerned, Fiyero sent Kos to make sure Memucan was not ill. It was most unlike him to miss any appointment.

Elphaba and Fiyero were enjoying breakfast together as they waited for Kos to return. It had been a few weeks since they had made up, and Fiyero was going overboard (in Elphaba's words, not his) trying to make up for his behaviour. Elphaba thought it was totally unnecessary. They had fought, apologised and that was the end of it.

When Boq returned, he stood silently in the doorway, not drawing attention to himself. Elphaba happened to glance over and see him, and she was startled by the ashen tone to his skin.

"B- Kos? What's happened?" she asked, rising from her seat and inwardly cringing at her near slip of the tongue.

At her alarmed tone, Fiyero looked over too and was only a step behind his wife to the eunuch's side.

"What has happened?" he demanded, his tone more demanding than Elphaba's had been.

Boq swallowed hard before answering. "Sire, Memucan…. He's been murdered."

Elphaba froze in horror, her eyes widening. More alarming was Fiyero's reaction, who paled visibly and his jaw tightening.

"What do you mean? Who would do such a thing?" Elphaba whispered, unable to stop staring at Boq.

Boq met her eyes, his voice trembling. "I can't say, Your Highness. His body was found by his maid this morning…. Word is that his throat was slit."

The image made Elphaba shudder and regret her large breakfast that morning. Her brown eyes flickered to Fiyero in concern as she realised her husband was yet to speak, or move.

"Yero?" she asked quietly, turning away from Boq and placing her hand on his arm.

He looked down at her blankly, and drew her to his side, holding her there tightly. Boq stood there, clearly uncomfortable, but not allowed to leave without being dismissed by the king.

"I must see Dillamond," Fiyero managed to say finally, his voice tight. "We must go and see what is to be done."

He kissed the top of Elphaba's head quickly and pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"Will you be alright?"

She nodded immediately. "Go," she urged gently and he left immediately.

The murder of Memucan sent shockwaves through the whole of the Vinkus. As the king's top advisor, there were many theories flying around about who would have a motive for killing him. An investigation was launched, but there was no evidence, much to Fiyero's frustration.

The worst part for him, which Elphaba felt keenly, was that he couldn't even grieve the loss of Memucan, who had been with him for so long. Mere days after his funeral, Fiyero was locked away with the court, trying to decide who should fulfil Memucan's role as Vizier.

As Elphaba was preparing for bed that night, she was startled to hear a knock on the door. She hadn't expected Fiyero to call for her that night, even though they still spent most nights together, she knew how tired and emotional the last few days had been for him.

But the last thing she was expecting when she opened the door was to find her husband on the other side. He _never _came to her rooms.

"Yero?"

Fiyero wrapped her in his arms and sighed deeply into the crook of her neck. "I hate this, Fae."

"I know," she whispered in reply. "But Memucan wouldn't take it personally. He of all people understood duty."

Fiyero gave a small smile. "I know. It was he who kept pressing for a Queen… Which gave me you."

Elphaba returned the smile softly. "So, I owe him more than I thought."

He gave a small frown and she hastened to explain. "While you were gone… I would have gone mad if Memucan hadn't kept me updated on the war and explained things to me. I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot when I first arrived," she admitted, and Fiyero actually laughed for the first time in days, thinking that might be an understatement.

"But he was a good advisor to you," she continued. "And a good friend."

Fiyero nodded. "He was. Replacing him…"

"Have you made your choice?" Elphaba asked.

"Yes. One of the men who distinguished themselves in battle. I think you've met him, actually. Avaric?"

Elphaba shuddered at the name and felt her stomach drop, but Fiyero didn't notice.

"Yes. We've met."

She felt completely sick, thinking of having Avaric around all the time, having him in such close proximity to her husband all the time, knowing what he was capable of. But she had no say in Fiyero's decision, and she had no proof to successfully argue against the position.

But when it seemed that Fiyero might bid her goodnight, Elphaba clung to him.

"Will you stay here tonight? Please?" she asked quietly, and Fiyero, looking into her eyes, couldn't refuse, for reasons unknown.

"Of course, my love."

And the next day, Avaric Tenmeadows became the new Royal Vizier of the Vinkus.


	23. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though. **

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Shell stood at his usual post at the gate a week later, his face troubled. He had managed to have a brief conversation with Elphaba the day before, and he knew she was just as troubled at the idea of Avaric having so much power as he was.

"I can barely stand to be in the same room as him, it makes me ill," she confessed and Shell's heart ached.

"I know it's awful, Fabala, but you must try and treat him normally. We can't give him any reason to suspect that we know something about his past. He is essentially the second-most powerful man in the kingdom and he should find disfavour in you and have the king's ear… remember Samira."

Elphaba could have protested that Fiyero loved her, unlike Samira, but she knew he had a point. Fiyero had believed false rumours about her once, what was to stop him from doing so again? And next time, he might not learn the truth.

"Shell?"

Shell blinked, coming out of his deep thoughts with a jolt. It was Otho, frowning concernedly.

"Are you okay, man?"

Shell smiled faintly. "I'm fine, Otho. Lost in thought, I guess."

Otho nodded knowingly. After he had taken Elphaba to Kiamo Ko, what seemed like a life time ago, Otho had returned to Shell's home and demanded answers. Shell had made the decision to trust his friend and told him everything, about his heritage, their families murders and why he'd kept Elphaba hidden and requested she change her name.

Otho had been surprised, but in hindsight thought it helped a lot of things make sense.

He was about to offer his old friend what small reassurance he could, but before he could say anything a loud voice proclaimed;

"Make way for Master Avaric, the Royal Vizier! Everyone bow before him!"

Obediently, everyone sank at the waist into a low bow as Avaric made his way out through the castle gates on a chariot pulled by a horse. Everyone that is, except for Shell.

Shell remained stubbornly upright, and looked Avaric right in the eyes, feeling nothing but pure hatred for the man who had taken his and Elphaba's family from them, and ruined their lives. His gaze found the leather band on his wrist, bearing the symbol of the Lustitiaens and his jaw tightened further.

Avaric looked back at him as he rode passed, but said nothing. Before he was barely out of earshot, Otho turned to Shell with a groan.

"Why didn't you bow to him? You're going to be in _so_ much trouble!"

"I'm not going to bow to anyone except my King and Queen," Shell replied firmly. "Especially no one who did what that man has done."

Otho shook his worriedly. "Shell, I fear you've just done more harm than good, my friend."

Otho was right. The next day, Avaric rode past again, and once again, all but Shell bowed to him.

That night, as Otho was leaving for home, an eunuch came up to him.

"Excuse me, sir. The Royal Vizier requests a meeting with you."

Puzzled, Otho agreed and followed him into Kiamo Ko and into Avaric's office.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Otho asked nervously.

Avaric nodded coolly. "Yes. The man who stands next to you at the gate… who is he?"

"The- the man next to me, sir?" Otho stammered.

"Yes. The one who refuses to bow to me. Who is he?"

Otho tried desperately to stall, not sure what to answer in order to protect his friend. Avaric seemed to sense this, and his tone got colder.

"Or perhaps I saw things wrong. The effect of the heat, you know how it is. Perhaps it was someone else who is the man I'm referring to. You, perhaps?"

Otho winced, he knew a threat when he heard it.

"His- his name is Shell, sir. Shell Thropp."

Otho wasn't sure what else to say, but he didn't know, couldn't know, that the name 'Thropp' was more than enough for Avaric. He knew the name of the former Governor of Munchkinland, and there was no doubt that the two would be related.

Thropp wasn't _that _common a surname.

"Thank you. That is all," he said dismissively, surprising Otho.

Otho bowed slightly and left, leaving Avaric deep in thought. A Munchkin… and not just any Munchkin, one related to the very governing leaders' Avaric was sure he'd eliminated twelve years ago.

That, combined with Shell's blatant disrespect and refusal to show him the accord he deserved... it made Avaric's blood boil. This had gone on long enough.

The Munchkins hiding in the Vinkuns must be dealt with, and Avaric was at last in the position of power and influence to be able to do so.

The next day, when meeting with the King, it didn't take long for Fiyero to notice that Avaric seemed to be unnaturally quiet. He kept fidgeting with the leather band he always wore around his wrist, the one, he had told Fiyero during a conversation on the battlefield, that bore his family crest.

"Avaric? Is something troubling you?"

Avaric made sure to seem hesitant. "It's nothing, Your Majesty. At least nothing I feel comfortable voicing at the present moment. It is nothing but mere speculation."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Do tell, Avaric. If it is obviously troubling you this much, I'd like to know."

Avaric shook his head. "Sire, I know you are still grieving for the loss of Memucan and how distressed you are that the investigation has led to nothing… I'd hate to be the one to give you undue hope."

That caught Fiyero's attention immediately. "Avaric, what do you know?" he commanded.

Avaric hesitated briefly, took a deep breath and sighed.

"I've heard rumours, Your Majesty. Rumours that point to a certain group of people as the ones that organised the brutal murder of Memucan."

Fiyero's face was pale. "Who?" he asked quietly.

"The Munchkins," Avaric replied solemnly. "I've heard that they are working from within to bring down the government. You know that they have been sympathetic to the cause of the Ugabians since before the war."

Fiyero remembered and he nodded grimly.

"Yes. What do we do? How bad is the situation?"

"I fear the situation had escalated long before I caught wind of it, Sire. There is rebellion brewing in the underbelly of the city. I fear the only way to stop the rebellion to becoming a coup or a riot is to make an example of them. We must kill them all."

Fiyero blanched. "Kill them _all? _Men, women, children? How in Oz's name do you suggest we do that? How could I justify that?"

"By telling them the truth about what the Munchkins are doing," Avaric replied swiftly. "And I'm not suggesting you send in your guards to murder them all in their beds. I propose to you, we send out a royal decree. And announce that on a certain day, citizens are free to attack and destroy all Munchkins they come across throughout the kingdom. Vinkuns who respect you and respect the crown will stand against the Munchkins and the Vinkus will be safe."

Fiyero sat there silently for a long time, thinking this over. He couldn't have a rebellion arise, nor could he let it be known that there were those who supported the Ugabians, their enemy.

Finally, he sighed heavily and looked at Avaric.

"Make the proclamation," he said, and handed Avaric his signet ring with his crest upon it.

Once Avaric fixed that crest to the paper, it was law and could not be overturned.

And Avaric supressed an urge to smile.

**AN. *dramatic music* ooh, now the drama kicks in!**


	24. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Happy New Year everyone! **

**And wow, people are really mad at Fiyero, huh? I mean I get it, but remember- he's only doing it because of Avaric.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Twenty- four hours later, the royal proclamation was issued throughout all of the Vinkus; decreeing that "on the twentieth of February, all citizens of the Vinkus are exhorted by His Majesty, King Fiyero to destroy, kill, to annihilate every person with Munchkin blood, whether man, woman or child. Additionally, the populace is fully authorized to plunder the dead traitors' possessions."

He had chosen a date that was mere three weeks away, for a very specific purpose. That was the date of the long ago battle between Munchkinland and the Glikkus, the one that had claimed Avaric's father's life. This, Avaric had declared, was the perfect date for his final revenge.

Elphaba knew nothing of this, but she was distracted by other matters. Fiyero was beginning to hold more war councils and meetings with the court, but wouldn't tell Elphaba what they were discussing. She feared he was going to attempt another war against the Ugabians, and she knew the kingdom still couldn't afford that. He was so busy there were many nights she was not called to his bed, which Elphaba didn't mind as much as she usually would.

Having Avaric around was causing Elphaba's nightmares to return. Night after night, she awoke from vivid dreams from finding the bodies of her parents and sister; of seeing the rider, Avaric, ride away from the burning house; of the flames and smoke grabbing at her, suffocating her. She was grateful she was sleeping alone, so that she would not be forced to explain her nightmares to Fiyero, or make him worry.

She wished desperately she could talk to Shell, but her own court schedule had increased, giving her little time to arrange a chance meeting with her cousin when he was working at the gate.

It was three days after the proclamation was issued that Boq came hurrying into the room to find Elphaba, who was working with Dillamond to plan a banquet for the citizens. Dillamond hoped it might work as the last banquet had done so, serve as a distraction. Except instead of whispers of war, they were hoping to soothe the rumours of civil unrest creeping through the city and Kiamo Ko.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Boq said to Elphaba. "One of the guards at the gate wishes to speak with you urgently."

Immediately, something in his tone and the expression on his face told Elphaba that it was Shell. As her cousin didn't usually try and draw attention to himself, she was puzzled and alarmed.

"Very well."

"Shall I escort you, Your Majesty?" Dillamond asked and Elphaba smiled.

"No, thank you Dillamond. Kos shall suffice as an escort. I shan't be long."

"What's going on, Boq?" she whispered to her friend as they hastened towards the gate.

"I don't know. Shell just said he had to speak with you. He looked… he looked awful, Elphie. Like something was dreadfully wrong."

As soon as they made it to the gate, Elphaba saw what he meant. Shell's face was ashen, and he clutched a piece of paper in his hand.

"Shell, what is it?" Elphaba asked urgently.

He shook his head wordlessly and handed the paper to Elphaba. It took her a moment to take it all in, the words, the crest, and what it all signified. Finally, she let out a low whimper.

"I- I don't understand. Yero would never-"

"He would if Avaric has been feeding him lies," Shell croaked hoarsely.

Boq looked as horrified as Elphaba felt. "What do we do?"

Shell looked directly at Elphaba. "Fabala, you are the only one with a chance of stopping this."

"How? It's the law now," Elphaba protested.

"You must be able to do something," Shell pleaded. "The King trusts you, I know. You can talk to him. Fabala… I fear he knows that I am a Munchkin. Something when he passes through the gate in these past few days…. All our friends lives depend on you."

Elphaba felt completely overwhelmed by that idea. "I… I can try and talk to him, when he next summons me… but that is not often these days. He's very busy."

"You could go to him?" Boq offered and she shook her head.

"No, I can't. I may be Queen, and his wife, but not even I can approach the King unsummoned. You _know_ that, Boq."

"Fabala… we only have three weeks," Shell said quietly.

"He'll call for me by then," Elphaba assured him confidently.

But he did not. As the days passed, Elphaba got more restless, as Shell's words weighed heavy upon her. Although she knew that Fiyero was faithful to her in their marriage, she couldn't not hear the rumours, the speculation, the innuendo and outuendo, that was circulating through Kiamo Ko. It seemed everyone knew that the Queen was not spending her nights in the King's bed, and some were openly wondering just who was.

Elphaba ignored them all, she wasn't worried about it. Fiyero was busy, and she wondered if her husband was sleeping at all. But she was getting worried that he wasn't even summoning her to join him for meals. Dillamond tried to reassure her, but he knew nothing about why it was causing her so much stress.

The only bright side to this was that she never saw Avaric, for he was always with Fiyero. Elphaba couldn't stomach the thought of having to be in the same room as him, the man who had not only killed her family and destroyed her childhood (what little of a childhood she had, being born the way she was); but was now orchestrating the massacre of their Munchkin friends and what remained of her family.

It was a week before the appointed day when Elphaba met up with Shell again.

"You must go to him, Fabala," he insisted desperately. "This isn't only just about this law. This is a chance to stop Avaric once and for all. For what he did to our family and our friends."

"Shell, it's against the law! I go to him, and I face being killed," Elphaba replied.

"The alternative is you do nothing, and watch as our friends… and I, am killed," Shell said in the coldest voice he'd ever used with Elphaba.

Elphaba blanched, falling silent. Shell was right, she knew. Could she live with herself doing nothing, and knowing people… Nanny, _Shell_ had died because she was too afraid to do the same? After all Shell had done for her, raising her, keeping her safe, she would let him die?

"Ok," she whispered faintly, her voice choked with tears. "Ok. I will go to him."

Shell's face softened at her tears, and he hugged her tightly. "I believe the King loves you, Fabala. And I don't know what he can do, given that it _is _law now… but we must try. You're our only hope."

She nodded. "I will do my best," she promised. "I love you, Shell."

"I love you too, Fabala."

There was no time to waste, Elphaba knew as she left Shell and returned to the castle. As soon as she entered, she went and found Dillamond.

"Dillamond, where is the King?" she asked him, far more bluntly than she usually spoke to the Goat.

Dillamond looked briefly surprised. "He is in the throne room, Your Majesty. Meeting with the court officials. Is everything all right?"

Elphaba didn't answer, she just left, leaving the Chamberlain confused and bewildered. Boq saw her leave and hurried after her.

"You're doing it now?" he asked, wide eyed.

"You have a better time?" Elphaba demanded, not slowing her pace towards the throne room.

"You could wait until he's alone," Boq suggested. "He might be more lenient if it's just him."

Elphaba shook her head. "No. I must do it now, before I lose my nerve."

"El- Your Highness, the whole court is in there with him!" Boq insisted, correcting himself with her title at the last second, recognising they weren't alone.

"We're running out of time, _Kos,_" Elphaba hissed, turning to him. "We have a week. I don't know if the King can do anything, but it's better to give him a week to do so than a day, isn't it?"

"I'm not saying you should wait until the last minute," Boq replied. "Just wait a few hours."

Elphaba felt sick enough about what she was about to do as it was, let alone the idea of waiting a few hours to do so.

"No. I'm doing it now," she said stubbornly and continued walking.

Boq followed immediately.

Neither spoke again as they approached the throne room, it's massive doors more foreboding than Elphaba had ever seen them.

Elphaba faltered as she stood before them, her stomach turning. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_Fiyero loves you,_ she reminded herself. _He loves you. Trust in that. And if not… think of why you're doing this. For Shell, for Nanny, for Boq._

And then she opened her eyes, exhaled slowly and pushed the massive double doors to the throne room open.

**AN. And... another cliffhanger. Sorry! Btw, check my blog for my New year's entry :) link is on my profile page!**


	25. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. I swear this delay was only like 10% intentional on my part. The other 90% was due to work. **

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Elphaba almost froze in the open doorway as all eyes turned to her, but then she held her head up defiantly and began to walk forward towards where Fiyero was sitting on his throne.

She could tell even from a distance how surprised he was at her entrance, he'd already half-risen from his seat before she'd gone more than a few steps.

Some of the court officials in the room looked confused, some horrified, but all flickered their gaze between the King and the Queen, wondering if the King would lower his sceptre and allow the Queen to approach him unsummoned. Many of the court officials had served for Fiyero's father for many years before Fiyero taking the throne, and not even the oldest, most experienced court member could recall anyone approaching the King unsummoned and not losing their head.

The walk between the door and the throne felt like an eternity to Elphaba. It took all her effort to keep putting one foot before the other and not fall over or throw up, and she was aware she was shaking, but she kept her eyes fixed on the King as she walked.

Finally, she came to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the throne where her husband sat, except not her husband at that moment, but her King. Hesitating for the first time, she met his gaze.

He was still, so still for a long moment. His brow was still furrowed in a confused and bewildered frown, wondering what could possibly have brought her to him. There was no doubt in Fiyero's mind that it must be important for her to have risked her life to come before him, he knew she knew the laws. But there was something in her eyes, no fear, no pleading for mercy; only determination and strength.

The entire throne room watched with bated breath as Fiyero lowered the royal sceptre, giving the Queen silent permission to approach.

Elphaba internally sagged with relief, and she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

Fiyero sank back into his seat and relaxed his brow, looking questioningly at his wife.

"What business brings you here today, my Queen?" he asked casually, as though they were talking over dinner.

Elphaba couldn't help but smile softly, knowing he was not as nonchalant as he sounded. And she didn't bother pretending it was a casual visit.

"I wish to ask a favour of you, Your Majesty," she said and Fiyero raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed? Well, ask and it shall be yours, my Queen. Even if it is half the kingdom."

Elphaba chuckled. "It is nothing of that measure, I assure you."

Then, as Fiyero looked at her expectantly, Elphaba glanced around her and swallowed hard. Although she had no doubt of Fiyero's love for her, she wasn't sure how the court would react to learning that their Queen was a native Munchkinlander, the very kind they had been demonizing for months now and who they firmly believed was a sympathetic ally to the cause of their enemy.

And she also noticed that Avaric wasn't there, and she wanted him to be there, she wanted to hear his explanation for why all Munchkins must be exterminated.

"I wanted to invite you and Master Avaric to a banquet this evening," she said finally, and Fiyero's confused frown reappeared.

She would risk her life to invite him to dinner? Fiyero's gut told him there was more to this than dinner, so he didn't question her, only nodded.

"Very well. What time?"

Elphaba sighed in relief. "Seven."

He nodded again and smiled. "So be it. Romulo," he said, turning to a nearby eunuch. "Send for Master Avaric at once so he shall be informed of Queen Fae's request."

The eunuch hurried off to do as bidden and Elphaba curtseyed politely.

"I thank you, Your Majesty. I shall see you both at seven. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have much to prepare."

And with that, Elphaba turned and left the room.

Boq was still waiting outside the throne room, his face white and anxious. He looked relieved to see Elphaba enter.

"Elphie! Did you tell him? What happened?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I couldn't tell him. Not in front of the whole court. Come with me, quickly. I'll explain everything and then you must take word to Shell."

Naturally, the castle cooks were taken aback at the short notice given to them to provide a private banquet for three, but they more than rose to the challenge. When Fiyero and Avaric arrived in the dining room, they were greeted with overwhelming smells of delicious food.

Elphaba had decided not to spring the news on him right at the beginning of dinner, she was too happy just to spend time with her husband, even if Avaric was there too. It had become such a rarity, and if tonight were to go unfortunately, at least she would have one last meal with him.

Unfortunately for Elphaba, her plan worked best when all parties involved were sober. Avaric was thoroughly enjoying himself, to be (as he saw it), a guest of honour at a private banquet hosted by the Vinkun Queen, and part of enjoying himself involved indulging in the best wine the castle had to offer.

By the second course, he was close to being drunk beyond comprehension, and although Fiyero wasn't drinking nearly as much, he'd had a glass or two that was more than Elphaba was comfortable with for the sort of revelation she had planned to spill.

As dessert was being served, Fiyero turned to Elphaba with a warm smile.

"So, my darling Fae, what is the reason behind this wonderful meal? Whatever is your desire, I will give it to you, my Queen, even if it is half of my kingdom."

Elphaba smiled sadly, wishing Avaric was absent so she could just be with her husband, and a small part of her wondering if he would be willing to give her half of his kingdom, why hadn't he called her to him in weeks?

"I admit, I am too enjoying the pleasure of your company to give up my request just yet," she said.

"Come to dinner again tomorrow night, with Avaric, and I promise I'll tell you everything," she promised and Fiyero regarded her for a moment before agreeing.

"Very well. Tomorrow night."

Then he smiled and lowered his voice. "I hope Avaric doesn't stay too long after dessert. I am quite looking forward to going to bed. You'll join me?"

Elphaba's heart lifted and she beamed, giving Fiyero all the answer he needed.

Before leaving that night, Avaric bowed deeply to Fiyero and kissed Elphaba's hand, who forced herself not to flinch or pull her hand away.

"I thank you for the most generous invitation you have bestowed upon me, Your Highness," he said greasily and she nodded.

"I trust you will join us for dinner again tomorrow night?"

"I would consider it an honour, Queen Fae. Your Majesties, I shall take my leave. Good evening."

"Good evening, Avaric," Fiyero replied.

As Avaric headed towards the front gate, he hummed to himself happily. He was sure that he must about to be honoured greatly for his service to the King and Queen. Life, for Avaric, could hardly get better.

As he passed through the gate, his good mood briefly diminished as he recognised Shell standing at the gate.

He glared furiously at him, and spat at his feet.

"Filth," he glowered.

Shell's jaw twitched, but other than that, he gave no sign of even noticing Avaric's presence, which infuriated him even more. Not even the thought that in a few days, Shell Thropp and his _kind_ would no longer be a problem could comfort him, and when he finally reached home, he complained to his wife all about it.

"All Munchkins are of the lowest vermin, but Shell Thropp is complete scum, an example of all that is wrong with Oz," he growled.

"So, make an example of him," his wife suggested. "When the day of the purge comes, deal with him yourself and do it in a way so that all Munchkins and lowlifes know what to expect if they dare disrespect you."

Avaric quite liked that idea. "Yes!" he got up and began to pace as he thought about how best to go about that.

"We'll build a twelve foot pole and impale him on it, label him as a traitor to the crown," he said enthusiastically. "A pole of that height, all in the Greater Kells will be able to see it and will know how those who are disrespectful are dealt with."

His wife nodded eagerly. "Yes, that will be satisfactory."

"Fetch some of the men," he ordered her. "We'll start tonight."

His wife hurried to obey, and Avaric smiled, his good mood returning. Tomorrow Shell Thropp would be dealt with and he would be honoured by the Queen. It would be good day.


	26. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. Kind of a short chapter, but a good one :) Enjoy! 2 more to go after this one!**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Although it was late, and his wife lay sleeping peacefully beside him, Fiyero couldn't sleep.

Fae's strange behaviour of late was troubling him. He had been stunned beyond words when she had entered the throne room unsummoned like that, and then to simply invite him and Avaric to dinner! She _knew_ the laws, and the penalty for breaking them, but something had driven her to risk her life. And then at dinner, she had acted casual but Fiyero knew there was something troubling her.

And although she had smiled, and made an effort to act as normal, there was a light missing from her eyes, and Fiyero was worried.

Giving up on the idea of sleep, Fiyero slipped out of bed and left the room, being careful not to wake Fae. He headed to his study and sat at his desk, planning to at least try and be productive and do some work. But amongst a pile of papers on his desk, Fiyero found the court records for the past six months.

Dillamond had brought it to him when he returned from Ugabu, so that he could catch up on everything he had missed while he had been away at war, but Fiyero had been completely unmotivated to read them.

With a heavy sigh, he picked up the large tome and opened it to a random page. The date placed it a month before he left for Ugabu, and he decided that was as good a place to start reading as possible.

It was dry, tedious reading, but Fiyero found it brought him closer to sleep than anything else had, so at least he stood a chance of getting _some _sleep tonight, if only at his desk.

And then he read something that made his heavy eyes jolt open.

"_Shell __Thropp __uncovered __plot __by __Tibbett __and __Crope __to __assassinate __the __King. __Tibbett __and __Crope __apprehended __and __executed. __Shell__'__s __service __to __the __King __recorded, __the __King __is __in __his __debt.__"_

Fiyero stared at the words in horror. He remembered the incident, of course he did, and he remembered Shell. What he didn't remember was making any sign of public recognition of Shell's service. He hastily scanned over the next few pages, looking for any mention of it, but once it listed Fiyero and the army leaving for Ugabu, he gave up.

He felt horrible. Shell had shown him tremendous loyalty, and he had done nothing to publicly recognise or thank the man! Privately, he had thanked him yes, but saving the King's life deserved something more than a mere "Thank you!"

As soon as it was a somewhat respectable hour, Fiyero called an eunuch to him and sent for Avaric to be brought to him immediately. Needless to say, Avaric was confused and faintly alarmed that the King should need his services to early in the morning.

"How can I help you, Your Majesty? You look troubled."

Fiyero nodded distractedly. "I am, Avaric. I wish for your advice on a very serious matter."

"Of course, sire."

"How do you suggest is the best way to honour a man who has done great service to the King and the crown, and shown great loyalty?"

Avaric was surprised, and then suddenly, in his mind, it all made sense. The banquet with the Queen, the second one tonight and this sudden meeting of the King needing his "advice" on something. He was going to be publicly rewarded for his services to the crown!

Deciding to play along with however the King wanted to go about this, Avaric nodded solemnly, as though in great thought. Then, he preceded to describe everything he could think of that he would want when he was honoured by the King.

"Well, if the man you are choosing to honour truly _has_ done a great service to Your Majesty, and proven himself to have favour in your sight and be a loyal subject….. I suggest you take a royal robe, one you have worn to a public affair so that all will recognise it as yours. Then the man should be lifted atop Your Majesty's horse and led through the streets of the City by a high court official, proclaiming that 'This is a man who has found favour with the King!'"

Fiyero nodded thoughtfully. "That seems fitting. Very well, Avaric, this is what I want you to do. Make the arrangements for the robe and the horse. Then go down to the front gate and get the guard named Shell Thropp. He is the man I am honouring today, and I'd like you as my Royal Vizier, to be the high court official to lead him through the city streets."

Avaric was flabbergasted, at what the King was asking him to do. The King was honouring _Shell? _The same Shell who had shown him such disrespect? The Munchkin?

"Shell Thropp?" he repeated, hoping he'd misheard or that this was some kind of joke.

"Yes. And I wish for this to be done today. That will be all, Avaric. Thank you."

Avaric knew he had been dismissed, but it still took him a moment before he could move. He felt sick. He would be forced to lead the vermin through the streets, proclaiming him as a loyal servant of the King? The image made him shudder, but he couldn't refuse a direct order from the King.

Reluctantly, Avaric fetched the royal robe and called for the stable boy to saddle the King's horse, before sending an eunuch to fetch Shell and bring him up to the castle.

"Excuse me, Shell Thropp?"

Shell, standing at his post and wondering if Elphaba had approached Fiyero yet, was startled to hear someone speak his name.

"Yes?"

The eunuch bowed his head. "Sir, you have been summoned to the castle immediately."

Shell's heart leapt. "The Queen sent for me?" he asked hopefully.

The eunuch shook his head. "No, sir. The Royal Vizier."

Shell's heart sank back down past his stomach, and his face whitened. If Avaric had sent for him, it could be nothing good. He was certain he was being led to his execution.

To find Avaric waiting there for him, with a royal robe for him to wear and to be informed he was to be led through the city streets on the King's horse for his loyalty was more than Shell could fathom.

He was in a state of disbelief as he saddled the horse and Avaric took the horse's reins, leading him out of the stable and towards the gate.

Slowly, the citizens began to catch wind of what was happening, and began to flock to the streets to watch as Avaric led the horse, with Shell seated comfortably on the animal's back, calling out "Make way for Shell Thropp! This is a man who has found favour with the King!" in a loud, clear voice.

The people weren't exactly sure what Shell had done to deserve such an honour, but they knew it must be great, so they began to cheer and applaud, which spread through the streets quickly.

Avaric was loathing every moment of it. His voice was hoarse, his feet ached, and he felt such a surge of hatred for the man on the horse behind him, he could hardly stand it.

When the procession finally came to a stop, it was late afternoon. Avaric was hoping to have a chance to shower, shave and dress in his nicest clothes for his banquet with the King and Queen, but Kos, the eunuch who met them to escort Avaric to Kiamo Ko shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir. We have no time. Her Majesty insists on starting precisely at sunset, and she won't stand for tardiness. If you are not there on time, I will be forced to decline the invitation on your behalf."

Of course, Elphaba had no such protocol, but Boq was enjoying his rare moment to be able to make Avaric suffer. Sure enough, Avaric's face reddened and he spluttered.

"But… I am _filthy! _Surely I cannot come before Her Majesty in this state?"

"Sir, I must insist," Boq replied gravely, Avaric reluctantly agreed and so headed up to Kiamo Ko, sweaty, smelly and exhausted.

But that was soon to be the least of his worries.


	27. Chapter 26

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. We only have one chapter left! But I really like this chapter, and just couldn't wait to share it all with you. Plus, several of your reviews were rather impatient ;) and I'm happy to oblige! **

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

This time, Elphaba was prepared. She instructed the servants to limit Avaric's wine intake, and didn't wait too long to bring up the subject. They'd barely finished the entrees when Elphaba turned to Fiyero.

"Thank you for being so patient to hear my request," she said and Fiyero smiled.

"I imagine it is worth the wait, my Queen. So, will you now tell me what it is you desire? I will do all in my power to fulfil it," he promised.

"Even if it is half the kingdom?" she teased gently, repeating his own words back to him and he chuckled.

"Yes. Even then."

Elphaba's smile faded as she took a deep breath. "Your Majesty, although I am not asking you for half the kingdom, what I wish of you has a far greater value. But first, I must apologise to you."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Apologise?"

She nodded slowly. "I- I have not told you the whole truth about myself. But I beg of you, before you say anything when you hear the truth, _please _hear my request and put your personal feelings towards me aside. It is a matter of the greatest importance."

Fiyero frowned worriedly. "Very well, Fae."

"I told you my parents and sister died in a fire when I was seven," she began. "That isn't completely true. There _was _a fire, which I was lucky enough to survive, but the fire was not the cause of their deaths. The truth is, they were murdered in their beds in the middle of the night and I daresay the only reason I was not is because I slept in the attic."

Fiyero's eyes widened in horror. He knew because of his father's death what it was like to have a parent murdered, but couldn't imagine it happening at seven years old.

"Fae," he began, but she interrupted.

"The truth is, my father was Frexspar Thropp, the Governor of Munchkinland."

Avaric's gaze whipped up to hers and Fiyero stilled. Elphaba kept her eyes on her husband as she spoke, begging him to understand.

"My name isn't Fae. It's Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp. Munchkinland was attacked twelve years ago by a band of men, who slaughtered men, women and children and burned half of the town to the ground, including my home. I awoke in the middle of the night, smelling smoke and hearing screaming.

I have a very vivid memory of getting out of bed and going to the window. I saw a man riding a black horse away from the house. I saw his face very clearly, Your Majesty. He had blonde hair and a long, thin scar on the side of his face."

Fiyero's face whitened, and he turned to stare at Avaric, whose face was just as ashen.

Elphaba continued in a trembling voice. "I ran downstairs and found my sister and parents' bodies and the house in flames. I managed to get outside. The man you met, who saved your life…. Shell Thropp. He is my cousin, and he took me in, brought me here to the Vinkus and raised me as his own daughter."

Tears filled her eyes and she closed them briefly. "I grew up as a child, hearing stories of a band of men called the Lustitiaens, who had long since sworn vengeance on my kind and homeland. They bore a symbol, two 'S' type shapes facing one another."

Fiyero's gaze found the band on Avaric's wrist, which the Vizier subtly tried to cover with his hand, as he listened in horror.

"When we heard what was happening, that the Munchkins who sought refuge here in the Vinkus after that massacre twelve years ago, were being targeted and attacked as friends of the Ugabians, your enemy… Shell knew it wasn't safe. Our fathers were Gilikinese, so we didn't appear as Munchkins. But Elphaba _is _a very Munchkinlander name, so Shell requested I go by 'Fae' in order to keep me safe."

Fiyero's gaze was fixed on Elphaba, but she couldn't read what he was thinking.

"As you're aware, in a few days, all Munchkins will be vulnerable and liable to be attacked due to the edict that you passed at Master Avaric's request. I beg of you, Your Majesty, to please do something to stop this. Not for my own life, but for that of my cousin and my friends. We came here to seek refuge and get a fresh start in life. The Munchkins are not what they have been painted to be, there is no alliance with the Ugabians."

Elphaba stopped as Fiyero held up his hand. "I have heard enough," he said, and Elphaba's heart sank at his hard tone.

But then, as he turned to Avaric, she gained a fraction of hope.

Avaric was a bully and a murderer, but he quailed under Fiyero's icy glare like a small child.

"Your Majesty, I had _no _idea of Her Highness' heritage," he gasped. "Otherwise I _never _would have suggested the edict or dare insinuate that the Munchkin people…. Sire, I…"

"Silence," Fiyero snarled. "You would manipulate me, the _King, _to fulfil your own grievances against an innocent people?"

Avaric spluttered, unable to help himself. "They are _far_ from innocent!" he said, then realised what he had said and who he was speaking to and stopped talking.

But that was enough to condemn him in Fiyero's eyes. Speechless with rage, he stood up abruptly and strode from the room.

Avaric turned back to Elphaba, his eyes pleading.

"Your Highness, I beg you for mercy!"

"The same mercy you would show my cousin and our friends?" Elphaba demanded coldly, standing up too.

Alone for the first time ever, with the man who had murdered her family, she began to pace the room.

"Do you know I still dream of that night?" she asked him. "Of going downstairs and finding my four year old sister, my parents… murdered in their beds. The house burning to the ground around me? I awake screaming from nightmares, as if the smoke is still choking me and their blood still staining my clothes? And you ask _me _for mercy?"

Avaric practically fell over in his haste to stand up and fall to his knees at her feet.

"Your Highness, _please._I beg of you! I have a wife, and children!"

"And so did every Munchkin you killed or would kill in but a few days' time!" Elphaba spat.

She made to move away, but Avaric grabbed at her dress and she stumbled. As she fell, so did Avaric and she cried out as she landed on the ground, Avaric half lying on top of her.

Suddenly, Fiyero's furious voice boomed through the room and in an instant, Avaric had been pulled off her, and Fiyero had one hand pinned around Avaric's throat.

"You would dare to attack the Queen, my wife? After all that has been revealed tonight?"

Avaric was almost whimpering. "No, Sire! It was an accident! Please, I beg of you… have mercy!"

There was guards in the room, and Elphaba realised that was where he had disappeared to, to fetch them. As the guards hauled Avaric upright and handcuffed him, Dillamond entered the room.

"Your Majesty," he said hurriedly to Fiyero. "My sources tell me there is a twelve foot pole being constructed in Avaric's yard, on which he intended to impale Shell Thropp on the day of the edict."

Elphaba, who had only just managed to get to her feet, gasped audibly and she swayed on the spot. Fiyero instinctively steadied her as he turned to Dillamond.

"Finish constructing the pole, and impale _him _on it," he ordered harshly and Dillamond nodded.

"What about the edict?" Elphaba asked, as the guards dragged Avaric away to the dungeons.

Fiyero turned to her, and his face softened.

"Dillamond, prepare a statement and send it out immediately. Announce that any Munchkin who finds himself under attack on the day of the edict is entitled to defend himself by any means possible. _Without __consequences _for their actions."

Dillamond bowed. "Right away, Sire."

He left, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered and Fiyero turned to her, surprised.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. For deceiving you, I'm so sorry," she repeated, her voice breaking and Fiyero immediately closed the gap between them and drew her into his arms.

"Fae… _Elphaba_, listen to me."

It felt strange to hear her real name fall from his lips, but she tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

"I love you," he told her. "Not for your name, or your heritage, but for who you are. And I daresay you have never concealed that."

Elphaba chuckled tearily, a tear slipping down her cheek and Fiyero wiped it away gently.

"I understand why you did what you did, and I respect and admire your cousin even more greatly now for the lengths he went to in order to protect you. Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" he asked, a note of humour in his voice and Elphaba smiled.

"The eunuch, Kos?"

"Yes," Fiyero nodded, with a slight frown.

"His name is Boq. He's a Munchkin too, and one of my oldest friends," she replied and Fiyero laughed.

"Boq. So, I should have a talk with him as well as your cousin to learn more about you?"

Elphaba laughed and shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't talk to either of them, actually."

Fiyero grinned and kissed her.


	28. Epilogue

**DISCLAIMER: _Wicked _is my joy, my light, my life, but unfortunately not my property. Give it time, though.**

**AN. I just want to saw that only the bits about Avaric, Shell and the Lustitiaens is based off the bible/ONWTK movie and book, the rest is all me.**

**In the book, Xerxes (Fiyero) is murdered in his bed 4 years after all this happened, and he and Esther (Elphaba/Fae) never have children or anything. But that was kinda depressing, so I changed that.**

**Epilogue**

Avaric Tenmeadows was publicly hung on the twelve foot pole he had constructed in his own backyard the next day, charged with attempted genocide and assaulting the Queen.

Under orders from the King, all those bearing the symbol of the Lustitiaens where arrested and trialled. Many were likewise executed or imprisoned on similar charges of crimes against the Munchkin people.

Fiyero also sent notices to other provinces, informing them of the Lustitiaens, their symbols and their crimes and within months a large investigation was launched in all provinces across Oz, finding evidence of Avaric and his crimes and slowly, all Lustitiaens were rounded up and made to face punishment for their crimes.

On the day that Avaric's edict was supposed to go through, Munchkins who found themselves under attack were able to retaliate. There was bloodshed on both sides, but only two Munchkins and three Vinkuns were killed or seriously injured. And the story soon spread about how the Queen was a Munchkin herself by birth, and that she had risked her life to approach the King and beg for the lives of her people. The Munchkins loved her even more for it, and the Vinkuns respected her even more.

Shell Thropp, to the surprise of all, and none more than Shell himself, was chosen by the King to replace Avaric as the Royal Vizier to the Crown. And the eunuch Kos, was promoted to Head Eunuch, serving as assistant to Dillamond. And if anyone noticed that he more often than not was referred to as "Boq" and seemed to be very close friends with Queen Fae, no one said anything.

Fiyero continued to call Elphaba "Fae", mostly because he was just used to it, and because he insisted it suited her. Elphaba soon confessed her secret to Aysha and Galinda, both of whom were stunned by their friend's tale.

Much to Elphaba's annoyance, Galinda picked up Boq's habit of calling Elphaba "Elphie", but Asyha was like Fiyero, and continued to address the Queen as "Fae".

And no one had ever seen a royal marriage in the Vinkus quite like that of King Fiyero and Queen Fae.

Within a year of their marriage, the Queen had moved completely and permanently into the King's quarters, and Fiyero passed a ruling enabling that Elphaba was able to approach him at any time, even unsummoned. Nothing like it had ever been seen before.

When the castle announced the Queen was with child, the whole Kingdom rejoicified. Finally there would be an heir! Of course, with Vinkun tradition, it was expected and hoped for that the first child would be a boy. And there was much speculation about whether the child would inherit the Queen's unique skin tone.

One evening in autumn, as the sun was setting, Elphaba lay in bed, exhausted but happy beyond comprehension, watching her husband cradle their newborn daughter. In that moment, not a King, not even a husband, but simply a father.

"Are you sure you're happy with the name?" Elphaba asked him tiredly for the umpteenth time.

He smiled at her. "Yes, my love. I think it's perfect. And I think she agrees too. Do you like your name?" he cooed to the half-sleeping baby.

"Nessarose Kasmira Melena Tiggular."

"Princess Nessa," Elphaba said fondly.

Although she had few memories of her sister and mother, she was happy to be able to honour them through her daughter.

"You should sleep," Fiyero told her gently, seeing how exhausted she was.

"What will you do?"

Fiyero positively beamed. "I'm going to take our daughter to meet her mother's cousin, who I'm sure will treat her as a granddaughter as much as he treats her mother as a daughter. And I'm sure Boq has been hovering the halls outside these rooms since you went into labour."

Elphaba giggled, she was sure of that too.

"And then I think the court should meet their Princess."

Elphaba hesitated. "I think many will be disappointed she isn't a boy-" she began anxiously, but Fiyero interrupted her with a kiss.

"Well, I'm thrillified, so they will be too," he said simply and Elphaba smiled happily.

"Ok. And ask Boq to send word to Aysha and Galinda, please?" she asked him and Fiyero nodded.

"I will," he promised and then left the room with baby Nessa contentedly in his arms.

Elphaba shook her head in amazement as she lay in her bed alone, reflecting on all that had changed. If someone had told her that she would be Queen of the Vinkus, she would have laughed.

But here she was, with a husband who loved her and a beautiful baby daughter.

And just to think, she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep. It all began with one night with the King.

**The End**

**AN. I can't believe this story is over! I had so much fun reading it and hearing your reactions and thoughts on each chapter. Thank you so much. This was very different and sometimes difficult for me to write, but you all were so supportive. A lot happened throughout this story... posting 2 one-shots and starting a blog, as well as graduating uni! **

**Next up for me, in between moving and settling into my new job over the next few weeks (school starts Jan 27th), I am going to begin posting the first non-Wicked fic I've written in over a year. **

**It's an NCIS one (with about a million and one Wicked references, LOL), so if you're not into NCIS, I'm sorry.**

** I am working on my next Fiyeraba, _Out of the Blue, _and am currently writing chapter 8. I think there'll be about 26, but it depends on how much writing time I get around school to when I finish it and begin posting it.**

**I'm also co-writing (first time I've done that) a Fiyeraba with TeamWicked, called _The Vow. _But we're not rushing that.**

**I also had an idea the other day for a GLEE one-shot, but we'll see!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and especially to Julia and Kelly, who reviewed this story even though you'd already read it many times as I was writing it. **


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